Our team was awarded the FAO prize for Sustainable transformation of livestock farming and One Health

Abstract

In October 2025, our team received international recognition for its work on the use of antibiotics in dairy production. The FAO awarded us the “Sustainable transformation of livestock farming and One Health” prize at its global conference on sustainable livestock transformation held in Rome. This award recognizes a project carried out over the past few years by Ahmad Albaaj, research professional in our team, with several colleagues, namely the creation of an interface for the comparative analysis of antimicrobial use on Quebec dairy farms.

As part of Dr. Hélène Lardé’s doctoral work, we developed indices (such as standardized treatment doses) to report on the use of antimicrobials on dairy farms, and then we validated the use of a centralized electronic data source for veterinary invoices to measure this use on these farms. Hélène’s work naturally led to this tool developed in collaboration with our private partner, DSAHR. The interface uses veterinary invoices data to enable Quebec’s 4,000 dairy farmers and 200 veterinarians practicing in the field of large animals to compare their antimicrobial use practices with those of their peers. Available online, the interface allows dairy farmers to compare themselves with other producers as well as with themselves, and to identify areas of use where they differ from other farms. For veterinarians, the interface allows them to identify clients who have unusual usage patterns and to compare their own prescribing habits with those of their colleagues.

In 2024, the tool was officially integrated into a Quebec government program aimed at improving antimicrobial use practices on dairy farms. The program subsidizes a veterinary visit during which these practices are reviewed using the benchmarking tool to identify areas for improvement.

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