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One Health: Reciprocal knowledge sharing — What is it and how does it apply to One Health in practice?

December 11, 2024

Veterinarians Without Borders North America/ Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord (VWB/VSF) is an international development organization that has been sending volunteers from Canada to Kenya as part of the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) through their Volunteers Engaged in Gender Responsive Technical Solutions (VETS) project, since 2020. The VETS project takes place across Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam and uses reciprocal knowledge exchange to enable local animal health experts, livestock keepers, and ELP volunteers to learn from each other. Reciprocal knowledge exchange is essential to the success of the VETS project to reduce poverty and inequalities, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with all 17 goals connected to critical factors for sustainable livestock production.

The ELP is designed for current veterinary and graduate students or recent university graduates to contribute to the VETS program’s mission by supporting and working with partner organizations, with volunteers receiving guidance from experienced professionals such as veterinarians. Historical and ongoing power imbalances stemming from colonialism are reflected in current international development funding models in which Global North priorities are emphasized over those of the Global South (i.e., funding pandemic prevention instead of endemic diseases). There has been a recent focus on decolonization and localization in development to shift power, decision-making, and capacity to developing countries for meaningful change; VWB/VSF is working to ensure these practices Reciprocal knowledge sharing — What is it and how does it apply to One Health in practice? are applied within their projects, both locally in Canada with Indigenous communities and internationally.

Although technical expertise is valuable in addressing One Health issues, there are increased calls for both interdisciplinary and global collaboration to address One Health challenges and decolonization of science for social justice. The Network for Ecohealth and One Health (NEOH) identifies 9 One Health core competencies, which are crosscutting through all One Health technical areas and include effective communication, social, cultural and gender equity, inclusiveness, and collective learning. Knowledge is considered reciprocal when it is collectively contributed for all members to access the information provided. Reciprocal knowledge sharing is an example of a cross-cutting competency (communication, inclusiveness, collective learning) and is a critical component to address complex One Health challenges being faced globally. In 2024, ELP volunteers noted that the client communication skills they acquire in veterinary school helped to equip them with aspects of these core competencies so they can facilitate strong relationships centered on reciprocal knowledge sharing.

The goal of the VWB/VSF’s VETS project in Kenya is to improve the well-being of smallholder dairy farmers, using gender-sensitive approaches to build capacity to increase milk production. By partnering with Meru Dairy Cooperative Union, and Mukurwe-ini Wakulima Dairy (MWDL), volunteers in the ELP used a One Health approach to provide training for dairy farmers that benefitted both farmers and animals, while considering environmental challenges. With technical advice and support from Dr. Shauna Richards, Animal Health Advisors Paige Villeneuve, Madilyn Privé, and Safira Teja focused their work at the MWDL located in Nyeri County, in the highlands of Central Kenya. These volunteers worked at the MWDL for 3 mo (summer of 2024). The MWDL was established . 30 y ago, serving as a hub that purchases, distributes, and processes milk for commercial distribution, with . 8000 farmers in 7 regions and an average net daily production of 70 000 L, with a goal of producing and processing 100 000 L daily.

Gender Advisor Madalyn Nielsen, Animal Health Advisor Lucie Weiland, and Communications Advisor Mariam Gondé worked with Meru Dairy Co-operative Union and their Technical Advisor Dr. Alina Gardiner for 3 mo. The Meru Dairy collects milk from 67 cooperative societies with . 110 000 farmers across 6 counties. Currently the dairy processes 580 000 L of milk per day, with a goal of producing 1 000 000 L per day. Throughout the placements, ELP volunteers exchanged knowledge with various groups including extension officers, farmers, agronomists, veterinarians, and feed store staff.

Extension officers are employed by both dairy partners in Kenya and are responsible for connecting farmers with resources to improve farm productivity. They provide free services and education to dairy farmers regarding sustainable dairy business management, fodder management and conservation, cattle health and comfort, nutrition, calf and heifer rearing, milk quality control, and manure management. These services are offered to build farmer capacity through direct education and training events. Extension officers work with VWB/VSF volunteers to facilitate group trainings on specific challenges farmers are facing. During these trainings, extension officers work with ELP volunteers to communicate and translate trainings into local languages (Kikuyu, Kimeru, and Swahili). To optimize knowledge sharing and capacity building, they also provide ELP volunteers essential background information on farm history and cultural context. This reciprocal knowledge sharing allowed ELP volunteers to better understand and connect with farmers and ensured that trainings were applicable and culturally sensitive. As Canadian advice is not always relevant in Kenya, developing training plans in conjunction with extension officers ensured clear messaging consistent with advice dairy farmers received from partner organizations.

While developing trainings, ELP volunteers were sensitized by the extension officers and dairy farmers that problems and solutions encountered by the dairy industry in Kenya differ vastly from those in Canada. Farmers typically have 1 to 3 milking cows (usually Holstein with some crossbreeding with local breeds), on 1 to 2 acres of land with different forages from Canada (all planted and harvested by hand), cows are mainly kept in zero-grazing cow sheds, and milking is done entirely by hand (8,9). One example of a challenge many farmers in Meru face is rejection of milk by Meru Dairy. With this knowledge, ELP volunteers were able to evaluate the lactometer and alcohol tests being used to assess milk quality at Meru dairy and train farmers on 3 key factors that influence whether milk can be accepted and sold: feeding cows, cleanliness of cows and milking equipment, and preventing mastitis. Much of the training for these 3 areas incorporated knowledge gained from local experts and research from this region.

Regarding cleanliness, cow sheds in Kenya are not designed with automatic milkers, alley scrapers, or milk coolers like those in Canada. In Kenya, most farmers rely on hand milking and regular manual stall cleaning, but lack an opportunity to cool milk before delivery to the milk collection center. One challenge farmers raised was that their evening milk collection (stored overnight for morning pick-up) was regularly rejected. With this knowledge, ELP volunteers provided useful recommendations on ways to reduce bacterial spread between cows (improved hand and equipment hygiene) and storing milk overnight (cold-water bath). Furthermore, farmers highlighted mastitis, especially subclinical mastitis, as a pressing concern. Extension officers discussed with ELP volunteers that although California Mastitis Tests (CMT) are available, there is a knowledge gap for many farmers regarding their use. Therefore, a CMT test demonstration was incorporated into training to show farmers how to use the test and interpret results. This was followed by a discussion on the need to utilize local veterinary services if positive test results were encountered, thereby ensuring appropriate treatment was provided.

At the MWDL, ELP volunteers learned from farmers about shifting weather patterns leading to unpredictable rains and extended dry periods, as well as ways that climate change has impacted access to feed, animal health, and farmers’ own health — a true One Health concern. When there is insufficient feed and water, cows produce less milk, or in severe cases, need to be slaughtered, resulting in loss of the main or only income source for families in this region. Increasing unpredictability has made it difficult for farmers to ensure they have enough stored feed for the dry season. To address this challenge, ELP volunteers and extension officers incorporated discussions regarding silage to ensure farmers have stored feed during extended dry periods.

Similar to the issue raised by MWDL farmers, in Meru, high-quality forages are difficult to access during the dry season. Women face additional challenges accessing feed due to expectations regarding household tasks, limiting their ability to travel and purchase feed. Extension officers suggested silage bags as a more accessible option for women farmers to provide high-quality feed for cows when the climate is not favorable. Under the human health component of the One Health framework, and in alignment with several SDGs (notably SDG 5 — Gender Equality), ensuring that women receive equitable support to care for their livestock (and vice-versa) improves animal health and livelihoods that benefit them, their families, and their communities.

In addition to working with extension officers to offer training sessions to farmers, ELP volunteers worked with local veterinarians employed by the MWDL. Farmers of the MWDL can access veterinary services using credit from their milk sales, instead of cash. The veterinarians were great teachers, and ELP volunteers learned about many local challenges and solutions that they would not have been exposed to in Canada. For example, lumpy skin disease occurs throughout Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, but not in Canada. It is transmitted through biting arthropods and is controlled by zero-grazing, vaccination, and other techniques. Volunteers shadowed veterinarians on multiple lumpy skin disease cases and gained valuable knowledge on its diagnosis and treatment.

Technical knowledge-sharing on dairy farming practices using a One Health approach is enhanced through a focus on improving economic and social well-being of women and girls. Without reciprocal knowledge sharing, discussing gender equality and its role in animal health would be far less effective, as local knowledge of gender norms paired with external expertise fosters stronger farmer support for gender equity.

In Kenya, women contribute greatly to the agricultural sector; however, gender inequalities inhibit equal resource sharing and increased farm productivity. Gender roles vary between women and men; although both are usually involved in cow care, women are often responsible for cooking, house cleaning, and child care, tasks rarely done by men due to cultural norms. Women in lower and middleincome countries are also often disproportionately affected by zoonoses due to gender roles in animal production. Without tailored support to address gender barriers in livestock production, women cannot fully benefit from dairy livelihoods. Although both genders will often discuss finances, men usually make final decisions on farm and household purchases, and often have more control over farm assets. Both dairy groups encourage collaboration between genders as this increases milk yield and quality. Locally informed discussions about gender roles were therefore prioritized during farmer and extension staff training sessions so that participants would understand how gender roles influence farming.

Although Meru Dairy prioritizes women’s leadership and social inclusion at the cooperative level, , 10% of the cooperatives selling milk to Meru Dairy are led by women. Women have had limited access to leadership opportunities, due to cultural expectations, systemic barriers and less available time. By fostering peer support through advice from women in community leadership positions, women farmers are encouraged to run for leadership positions, with support from men. Improved animal health leads to increased levels of women’s leadership, as women are often more motivated to pursue these positions when the health of their herd improves.

Overall, this experience solidified the importance of reciprocal knowledge sharing as a key skill to advance One Health. Volunteers may be technical experts, but there are many factors that go into providing accessible, attainable, and contextually accurate advice to farmers. The lessons ELP volunteers learned from farmers, extension officers, agronomists, veterinarians, and technical advisors were essential in ensuring that the ELP volunteers’ seminars addressed relevant One Health challenges impacting dairy farmers in Central Kenya. Sharing knowledge, learning from one another, and enhancing knowledge and the application of cross-cutting competencies necessary for One Health were essential for successful implementation of the VETS project in Kenya. Furthermore, these activities were also highly beneficial for ELP volunteers and dairy partner staff (to learn more about impacts of this project on farmers in Kenya.

Knowledge acquired during this 1316 FEATURES RUBRIQUES FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY placement will be beneficial for our future careers as emerging leaders in One Health in Canada and globally.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We acknowledge Veterinarians Without Borders North America for their support and Global Affairs Canada for their funding which made our experience in Kenya possible. We thank our colleagues at Meru Dairy Cooperative Union and Mukurwe-ini Wakulima Dairy, for kindly hosting us and sharing their valuable knowledge that contributed to our personal and professional growth. We also thank our Technical Advisors, Drs. Alina Gardiner and Shauna Richards for their mentorship and support during our placements.

–Madalyn Nielsen (Queen’s University Global Development Studies, MA 2021),
–Madilyn Privé (WCVM 2026)
– Safira Teja (UCVM, 2025)
–Paige Villeneuve (OVC 2027)
–Lucie Weiland (OVC 2027)