Have you heard about One Health? If not it’s so simple and yet so complex. One Health is an approach that recognizes the interconnection between the health of people, animals and the environment. It aims to promote collaboration and communication among different sectors and disciplines to address complex health challenges that affect humans, animals and ecosystems.
Why is One Health important?
When looking at ways to reverse climate change one must look at it holistically since its impact is wide ranging and certainly impacting our health. Another challenge we face today is the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. Some examples of zoonotic diseases are COVID-19, rabies, influenza and anthrax. These diseases pose a serious threat to public health and global security.
By protecting the environment, we can enhance the resilience and sustainability of our ecosystem and prevent or mitigate the impacts of environmental changes on animal and human health. We must adopt responsible practices in agriculture, hunting, trade and travel to positively impact the health of animals and the environment. Farming practices such as organic farming and better yet regenerative farming help by not only protecting but restoring the ecosystem back to health. By adopting responsible practices, we can minimize the negative effects of our activities and promote coexistence and harmony between humans, animals and the planet.
How does One Health Help?
- One Health recognizes that the health of one species can affect the health of another species and the health of the ecosystem.
- One Health aims to prevent or control emerging and re-emerging diseases that can threaten the health of humans, animals and the environment.
- One Health supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing various aspects of health, such as food security, water quality, climate action and biodiversity conservation.
What can you do?
- Shop organic, but even better if you see “regeneratively farmed” buy that.
- Be open to learning more about One Health and how everyone can have a positive impact through questioning your own purchases and habits.
- Adopt healthy and sustainable lifestyles like considering carbon footprint before purchasing and reducing meat consumption. When you order from Organic Pharmer all shipments are carbon neutral thanks to Planet App!
Further reading on Sustainability and Environment