Increasing demand for animal-sourced foods is creating a “trap” where both options for meeting that demand - intensive versus extensive farming methods - each bring their own risks for the emergence and spread of infectious zoonotic diseases, according to this paper. The author sets out recommendations for managing zoonotic disease risks from livestock.

This paper reviews the evidence linking different types of livestock production systems to the emergence of new infectious diseases. It concludes that there is not currently enough evidence to show whether extensive or intensive systems would better protect against future pandemics. Both systems present different types of risk: low-yield farms generally have a higher risk of interspecies contact, but tend to keep more diverse livestock at lower stocking densities; while high-yield farms have a lower risk of livestock picking up a disease in the first place as the animals are often kept indoors, but the risk of any disease being spread is higher because of greater stocking densities, lower livestock diversity and sometimes poorer health and welfare.

This paper sets out proposals for reforming the global food system to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks and pandemics originating from wildlife. It proposes limiting human encroachment on tropical areas of wilderness by shifting to diets low in animal-source foods; reducing urban demand for tropical wild meat while protecting access to wild meat by indigenous and subsistence communities; and improving biosecurity measures to prevent transmission of diseases between wildlife and humans along animal source food supply chains.

This paper identifies six key elements of the Paris Climate Agreement and discusses how they could be applied to the challenge of tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the global level. The elements are: a collective global goal; a focus on social and economic transformation; nationally determined contributions that become more ambitious over time; an annual multi-stakeholder forum; global scientific stock-taking every five years; and an international legal framework. Most of these elements are not yet in place in relation to AMR.

This report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature examines the links between wildlife and emerging human pathogens as well as the origins, drivers and risk factors of zoonotic diseases. It finds that around 99% of the human incidence of zoonoses come from domesticated animals or habitats disrupted by people (for example through the food system), as opposed to from direct exposure to wildlife.

This study surveyed people from 119 countries about their experiences of food environments and food acquisition practices during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020). Many respondents experienced physical distancing requirements at food shops (90% of respondents), restricted access to stores (77%), stockpiling foods (67%), increased awareness of food waste (63%) and buying more food due to fear or anxiety (47%).

This book sets out the case for considering the wellbeing of animals as part of our responses to pandemics, climate change and other global threats, for example by reducing support for factory farming, deforestation and the wildlife trade.

This report from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food profiles how various food initiatives have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of demonstrating that transformative food system change is possible. Case studies include a non-profit distributor of sustainably grown food in Philadelphia, a food bank in Lagos, Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture and “solidarity kitchens” in Rio de Janeiro.

TABLE member Luke Spajic has hosted an episode of the Climate Proof-Food Podcast, in which Dr Claas Kirchelle, historian of science, medicine, and technology at University College Dublin, speaks about the contribution of agriculture to antimicrobial resistance.