Letters to the Editor

The views expressed are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of DTN, its management or employees.

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To the Editor:

Your hog or poultry operation depends on corn, soybeans, and alfalfa from surrounding farms. All three rely on pollinators. Yet many of the chemical disinfectants we deploy daily to protect livestock biosecurity are drifting into the same ecosystems that feed those animals, quietly undermining the feed supply stability we're trying to ensure.

It's not a crisis-moment problem. It's embedded in how we approach biosecurity across the industry.

THE MATH LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS FACE

Roughly 75% of global food crops depend at least partially on animal pollinators. In livestock-heavy regions, pollinator populations directly impact your feed costs. Yet pollinator numbers are already in sharp decline. More than 80% of wild flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce. When populations crash, crop yields slip, and your feed bills spike.

Current biosecurity measures work. They control pathogens effectively. The problem: many rely on broad-spectrum chemical interventions that drift beyond farm boundaries. We've invested billions in protecting animals from immediate disease threats while inadvertently undermining the long-term stability of the systems feeding them.

It's a one-step-forward, two-steps-back approach to food security.

ONE HEALTH ISN'T PHILOSOPHY, IT'S ECONOMICS

One Health recognizes what producers already know: human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected. For livestock operations, this isn't abstract. It's the difference between predictable feed sourcing and volatile commodity markets. It's the difference between stable margins and cascading supply chain vulnerabilities.

The logic is straightforward:

-- Pathogenic threats are real and persistent.

-- Current biosecurity measures work, but often rely on broad-spectrum chemicals.

-- These chemicals affect pollinators in nearby agricultural areas.

-- Pollinator decline reduces crop yields and increases feed costs.

-- Higher feed costs reduce livestock operation margins.

-- Result: We've traded short-term disease control for long-term feed supply risk.

NEXT-GENERATION BIOSECURITY IS AVAILABLE NOW

The industry has proven it can develop targeted solutions that control pathogens without relying on chemical toxins. Air filtration systems designed to capture aerosolized infectious particles in confinement environments represent exactly this shift. Whether the threat is PRRS, AI, or other pathogens, and whether it spreads through poultry, swine, or cattle, the principle remains: selective pathogen control without collateral damage to non-target organisms.

Commercial operations are already deploying these systems. Recent reports on wean-to-market filtration in swine show measurable PRRS control without the chemical burden of disinfection-dependent protocols. The technology exists. It works.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR OPERATION

Adopting next-generation biosecurity tools creates immediate producer benefits:

-- Effective pathogen control where it's needed, when it's needed.

-- Reduced chemical burden in soil and water, lower environmental liability.

-- Feed supply resilience by protecting the pollinator populations supporting your feed crops.

-- Market positioning. Retailers and consumers increasingly reward sustainable livestock production. Early adopters can capture premium positioning.

-- Regulatory alignment. As pesticide regulations tighten, operations with cleaner biosecurity profiles adapt faster.

This isn't marginal improvement. It's scalable innovation that aligns animal health with ecosystem resilience.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN

For producers and integrators: Evaluate next-generation biosecurity equipment that reduces chemical burden without compromising disease control. Ask your herd health consultants and equipment suppliers what alternatives exist.

For policymakers: USDA programs and state agricultural departments should fast-track approval and incentivize biosecurity innovations that demonstrate both pathogen control and reduced environmental impact.

For industry: Build systems designed to remain resilient for decades by protecting the ecosystems supporting them, not just this quarter.

THE REAL COST OF WAITING

Biosecurity pressures will persist. Producers across all livestock sectors will continue facing disease pressures that demand robust innovation. The question is whether we'll meet those challenges using tools from the last generation, broad-spectrum chemicals that solve immediate problems while creating long-term vulnerabilities, or adopt innovations that align animal health with ecosystem resilience.

For livestock producers, true biosecurity means protecting both the animals in front of you and the agricultural systems supporting them. Pathogen control and environmental stewardship aren't competing goals. They're the same goal viewed from different time horizons.

The technology exists. The market demand exists. Industry-wide adoption is the next step.

-- Ralph G. Dacey Jr., MD, neurosurgeon

Former chair of Washington University's Department of Neurological Surgery and member of the National Academy of Medicine

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