One health: considerations in the International Year of Plant Health

Agrociencia Uruguay 2020 | Volume 24 | Number NE2 | Article 422 DOI: 10.31285/AGRO.24.422 ISSN 2301-1548 X Encuentro Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Biotecnología Agropecuaria XII Simposio REDBIO Argentina Editor William Roca Centro Internacional Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), LIma, Perú. Correspondence Nora Altier, Received 29 Jun 2020 Accepted 28 Sep 2020 Published 17 Dec 2020 Citation Altier N, Abreo E. One health: considerations in the International Year of Plant Health. Agrociencia Uruguay [Internet]. 2020 [cited dd mmm yyyy];24(NE2):422. Available from: http://agrocienciauruguay. uy/ojs/index.php/agrociencia/article/view/422 One health considerations in the International Year of Plant Health Una sola salud consideraciones en el Año Internacional de la Salud Vegetal Uma só saúde considerações no Ano Internacional da Saúde Vegetal Altier, N. 1; Abreo, E. 1 1Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Programa de Producción y Sustentabilidad Ambiental, Plataforma de Bioinsumos, Canelones, Uruguay. One Health: International Year of Plant Health Abstract The concept of “one health” is gaining strength at a global scale. The term summarizes a notion that has been known for more than a century: human and animal health are interdependent and linked to the ecosystems in which they coexist. In the International Year of Plant Health (2020), it is crucial that the agricultural sciences call attention for the need to consider the health of plants and their microbiome as a whole within the “one health” concept, closely linked to the health of the soil, the environment, animals and humans. In the context of agroecological production based on the sustainable management of natural resources, integrated pest management has been promoted to reduce the use of pesticides and mitigate negative effects on human and environmental health. The combination of genetic resistance with cultural and biological control have contributed to achieving this goal. The management of the microbiome offers also the possibility of addressing plant nutritional issues and the continuum between environmental, plant, animal and human health. With its strategic plan and longterm vision, INIA plays an essential role in the generation of knowledge and technologies, acting in accordance to the one health approach. Keywords: ecosystem health, food safety and security, human health, microbiome, soil health Resumen A nivel mundial, ha tomado fuerza el concepto de «una sola salud» (one health), que resume una noción conocida desde hace más de un siglo: la salud humana y animal son interdependientes y están vinculadas a los ecosistemas en los cuales coexisten. Desde las ciencias agrarias, en el Año Internacional de la Salud Vegetal, es importante señalar la necesidad de considerar la salud de las plantas y su microbioma dentro del concepto one health, íntimamente ligado a la salud del ambiente, el suelo, los animales y las personas. En el contexto de una producción agroecológica basada en la gestión sostenible de los recursos naturales, se ha promovido el manejo integrado de plagas para reducir el uso de plaguicidas y mitigar los efectos negativos en la salud humana y ambiental. La resistencia genética y el control cultural y biológico han contribuido a alcanzar esa meta. El manejo del microbioma permite igualmente abordar aspectos de la nutrición vegetal, contribuyendo a la salud ambiental, vegetal, animal y humana. Mediante su plan estratégico con visión de largo plazo, el INIA puede jugar un rol esencial en la generación de conocimiento y tecnologías, basando sus acciones en el enfoque de una sola salud. Palabras clave: salud ambiental, seguridad e inocuidad alimentaria, salud humana, microbioma, salud del suelo Resumo O conceito de “uma só saúde” (one health) vem se fortalecendo globalmente. Ele resume uma noção conhecida há mais de um século: a saúde humana e a sanidade animal são interdependentes e estão vinculadas aos ecossistemas nos que coexistem. No Ano Internacional da Saúde Vegetal, é importante que as ciências agrárias salientem a necessidade de considerar a saúde das plantas e seu microbioma como parte do conceito one Health, intimamente ligada à saúde do solo, do ambiente, dos animais e das pessoas. No contexto de uma produção agroecológica baseada na gestão sustentável dos recursos naturais, promove-se uma abordagem integrada de pragas para reduzir o uso de praguicidas e reduzir os efeitos negativos na saúde humana e ambiental. A combinação entre a resistência genética e o controle cultural e biológico tem contribuído para alcançar esse objetivo. A gestão da microbioma também permite considerar aspectos da nutrição vegetal, contribuindo para a saúde ambiental, vegetal, animal e humana. Com seu plano estratégico e visão de longo prazo, o INIA 2 Agrociencia Uruguay 2020;24(NE2) Altier N, Abreo E pode desempenhar um papel essencial na geração de conhecimento e tecnologias, com suas ações baseadas na abordagem de uma só saúde. Palavras-chave: saúde ambiental, segurança e inocuidade alimentar, saúde humana, microbioma, saúde do solo 1. Introduction The concept of “one health” is gaining strength around the world, and it has become more relevant since the emergence of Covid-19, acting as a reminder that many pandemics in human history originated from the transmission of animal pathogens to human hosts. The concept, introduced in the early 2000s, summarizes a century-old notion: human health and animal health are interdependent and bound to the health of the ecosystems in which they coexist(1)(2). The one-health approach is based on the design and implementation of programs, policies, legislation and research carried out coordinately by the different actors involved in human, animal and environmental health in order to achieve better outcomes in public health and address future challenges. It has been visually represented in different ways, always including human health, animal health, environmental health, and their interface(3) (Figure 1). Several international organizations, including the United Nations and its various agencies —mainly the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)—, have defined the concept and developed strategic plans through comprehensive approach initiatives(1)(2)(3). In this context, the actions to evaluate and mitigate the risks that threaten public health established in the tripartite agreement between these organizations stand out(4)(5). This has allowed the development of global strategies and tools to ensure a harmonious and consistent approach, coordinating human, animal and environmental health policies at a global scale. Agrociencia Uruguay 2020;24(NE2) Figure 1. “One health”, represented by the triad “Healthy People, Healthy Animals, Healthy Environments”, is an approach in which multiple sectors work together to achieve better public health outcomes Origi (...truncated)