One Health: Nurturing the health of humans, animals, and the environment
Gut microbes, turkey respiratory diseases, wild plant genes, zebra mussels, snails, cover crops, and stormwater ponds may not seem to have much in common, but at the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS), researchers see it all as interconnected. It’s all part of the growing One Health movement — a three-pronged approach to nurture the health of humans, wild and domestic animals, and the environment.
The World Health Organization defines One Health as an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. One Health is all about how interconnected we are to the world around us. It looks to address the full spectrum of challenges to health — from famine-threatening plant pathogens and antibiotic resistance to animal health, clean water, and healthy ecosystems that sustain us all.
At the University of Minnesota, One Health is also a strategic priority embedded within the University’s systemwide strategic framework, Elevate Extraordinary, reflecting the institution’s commitment to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration, public impact, sustainability, and the health of communities and ecosystems alike. CFANS researchers work across disciplines, collaborating to address some of the biggest challenges facing our world.
