The ITP “Healthy livestock – safe food” aims to reduce poverty of small holder farmers in East Africa through improved animal health and reduced antimicrobial resistance, with a focus on organisations in the livestock sector from farm to fork.
The overall objective of the programme is to reduce poverty and vulnerability among smallholder farmers. More specifically, the programme addresses how improved health in food producing animals may impact sustainable production of animal derived products, and how this interrelates to reduced usage of antimicrobials as well as safer food products, free from zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial residues.
The programme is a part of the Swedish International Development Agency’s (Sida) work with capacity and institutional development for low-and middle-income countries in priority areas.
The ITP programme Healthy livestock – safe food is planned and implemented by several Swedish governmental authorities in cooperation: the National Veterinary Institute, the Swedish Board of Agriculture, The National Food Agency and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Partner countries are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Title
Healthy livestock – safe food
Background
Knowledge is a main key in improving animal health and preventing infections. This in turn will lead to healthier livestock that can produce safe food and reduce hunger. This ITP aims at increasing the knowledge and awareness of how animal health and welfare is crucial for a safe food supply chain.
Healthy livestock – safe food, contributes to the fulfilment of the Agenda 2030 and the development plans of each participating country. The programme is designed to suit the participating countries’ needs in the animal health sector, and to contribute to poverty reduction by promoting a sustainable livestock production, with a smallholder focus. Thus, the programme relates to several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially: No poverty, Zero hunger, Good health and well-being but also Gender equality, Clean water and sanitation, Climate action, Life below water, Life on land, and Partnership for the goals
Learning Objectives
The overall objective of the programme is to reduce poverty and vulnerability among smallholder farmers. More specifically, the programme addresses how improved health of food producing animals can impact the sustainable production of animal derived products. It also addresses how this may interrelate to a reduced usage of antimicrobial drugs, and in turn safer food products that are free from zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial residues.
The main objectives of the programme are:
- improved animal health
- reduced number of zoonotic infections in humans
- decreased development of antimicrobial resistance
- reduced presence of antibiotic residues in food
Content and Structure
The ITP takes an integrative approach of animal health and food safety, exploring animal food value chains from stable to table and from farm to fork.
After completing the programme, the participants should have increased knowledge about:
- The importance of preventive measures for improved animal health, animal welfare and reduced antimicrobial drug use.
- Surveillance and control of endemic, epizootic and zoonotic diseases, including food-borne zoonoses.
- The benefits of applying a synergistic approach for increasing food safety in the value chain from stable to table, and how their organisation, in collaboration with other actors, can use this approach.
Methodology
The cornerstone of the ITP methodology is a strong interest among participants to learn from each other and use experiences from other countries and organisations. To accentuate the communal learning and the value chain approach, participants come from different scientific backgrounds and different types of organisations within the animal health sector.
The ITP is composed of several interrelated phases and an individual change project. The total duration of the programme is approximately 12 months. With start April 2023 and end in May 2024. The number of participants is limited to 25 to ensure a close working relationship between the participants.
The change project is a very important tool for achieving the programmes overall objectives through institutional changes on organisational, national, or regional level. These changes may for example lead to a more coordinated approach between different authorities within the sector, or organisations being able to work more effectively towards improved animal health and adequate antibiotic use with the smallholder farmer in focus. The projects should be needs- driven, executed as an integrated part of the participants’ ordinary work, and fully endorsed by the home organisations. Co-operation with former participants, and with other participants from the same or other countries is encouraged.
The ITP phases
Phase I – The preparatory phase
This phase includes the invitation process and the selection of institutions and participants. A strong commitment towards the programme and the change projects amongst the selected organisations is a precondition for participating in the programme.
Phase II – The start-up phase
This phase involves a digital welcome meeting, as well as a start-up meeting where participants meet in their respective countries. The aim of this meeting is to provide the participants with the knowledge and skills required to start up their change projects, as well as to align the projects to the missions of their institution/organisation; to national, regional, and global strategies and policies; and the SDGs, for long-term impact.
Phase III– The Regional phase
Phase III is a one-week long workshop, where all participants meet in one of the participating countries to present their projects and to have theoretical lectures, seminars, group discussions and study visits covering subject of animal health, food safety and antimicrobial resistance. The focus of this workshop is the “farm-perspective” including topics such as microbiology, epidemiology, preventive animal health, disease surveillance, animal welfare and an introduction to the Swedish value chain context
Phase IV – The Intermediate phase
During this phase the participant develop and execute their change projects under the guidance of individual mentors.
In this phase there is also a digital workshop where the participants meet in their respective countries and cover the topics of the “fork-perspective” such as control of foodborne zoonoses, food hygiene and antimicrobial residues.
Phase V – The Sweden phase
In phase V the participants will spend approximately two weeks in Sweden and work together in a tight schedule of theoretical lectures, seminars, group discussions and study visits covering subject of both the farm and the fork-perspective, including animal health, food safety and crisis awareness and preparedness.
Phase VI – The final phase
Phase VI is the final phase of the programme. The participants finalise their projects with emphasis on the implementation of the project.
Targeted Audience
The programme has a regional approach to promote animal health and food safety in Eastern Africa. The following countries are invited to nominate candidates: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Only candidates nominated by appropriate organisations are considered.
Invited to participate are governmental departments and agencies, including universities, research institutes and laboratories, cooperatives and other interest groups as well as non-governmental organizations engaged in the sectors of animal health, food safety and antimicrobial resistance.
Application Process
The application process consists of three steps:
1. Application form
The application form below should be downloaded filled in electronically and signed before being sent by e-mail to registrator@sva.se indicating “itp310/4” in the subject line.
Deadline for application is February 15th, 2023.
2. Nomination
The applicant must provide
Documents stating nomination by a relevant organisation, institution, or authority. The supervisor of the applicant must sign the form to confirm that the applicant can participate in the whole program, including three weeks away from home.
A recent photograph.
Required information and documents.
3. Change project
The application should include a draft project concept relating to healthy livestock – safe food issues to be developed and implemented in the home organization of the applicant.
Describe your change project in accordance with the instructions in the form.
Have the project plan approved and signed by the supervisor.
Submit the application form and Project Information Sheet electronically by e-mail to registrator@sva.se indicating “itp310/5” in the subject line.
Both men and women are encouraged to apply, the program aims at equal gender representation.
Selection process
Selected candidates will be contacted by e-mail including information on the program and the practical arrangements.
Link for more information about the programme:
https://www.sva.se/en/about-us/education-and-learning/