The importance of food animal veterinary education.

The Bologna Declaration of 19 June 1999 was a pledge, signed by 29 European countries, to reform higher education systems in order to create a European Space for Higher Education by 2010. As the deadline approaches, it is time to specify how the veterinary curricula can most adequately be oriented to adapt to the guidelines of the Declaration. The increasing demand for food of animal origin has made it clear that there is a lack of farm veterinarians in some western countries. Paradoxically, an increasingly 'urban' mentality is developing in the profession and in veterinary education. In contrast to what happens in the field of companion animals, food animal veterinary education must integrate knowledge and practice in animal production with training in health and population medicine. However, in order to guarantee safety and food traceability from the farm to the fork, priority must first be given to any possible repercussions that might arise from public health issues, and then to profitability.