Homeopathy for the Promotion of One Health in Agroecosystems

One Health encompasses the interactions between animals, plants, humans, and the environment and how these interactions and imbalances affect the occurrence and spread of disease. The toxic, harmful effects of contaminants currently widely used in agriculture and livestock farming pose a threat to One Health. Residues of veterinary pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in products of animal origin, such as meat, milk, eggs, and honey, pose serious risks to food safety. In agroecological production systems, the use of veterinary medicines is restricted. In these systems, homeopathy is an indispensable, sustainable first-choice remedy for the prevention and treatment of infectious and parasitic diseases as well as behavioral and reproductive disorders. It is currently gaining new momentum and proving to be a viable option for technological remedies aimed at the health of living beings and food security, sharing the principles of agroecology and environmental sustainability. In several countries, homeopathy is used in livestock farming and agriculture, mainly to reduce the use of antibiotics and insecticides in animal husbandry. In agroecosystems, homeopathy can help grow vegetables, control diseases and pests, reduce pesticide use, and improve water quality. Homeopathic medicines do not harm animals, consumers of animal products, or the environment. Homeopathy can help combat the development of antibiotic resistance and is recommended by the European Union for organic livestock production. An important contribution of homeopathy to the environment is that it returns excrement to the soil without residues, promoting the natural development of insects and microorganisms responsible for the transformation and incorporation of organic matter into the soil. In this way, it allows the soil to be healthy and produces balanced and healthy plants that, together with the animals that consume them, become higher-quality food for human consumption, directly promoting One Health. Homeopathy can treat every living thing in the agricultural organism. The One Health concept promotes a joint approach between the three axes of animal, human, and environmental health to address several complex problems in agriculture and livestock farming. Homeopathy is a safe and viable option to be further included in this approach.