{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T11:11:03Z","timestamp":1789038663119,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788998400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Special Program for Science and Technology Commissioners of the Qinghai Provincial Department of Science and Technology","award":["2026-NK-P38"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2026-NK-P38"]}]},{"award":["2026-NK-P38"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2026-NK-P38"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03vz7b375","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Livestock production must reconcile animal health, food safety, ecological limits, and farm viability. This narrative review proposes proactive health-oriented livestock production (PHLP) as a testable conceptual framework for alpine pastoral systems and as a step toward theory development, rather than as an already validated general theory. PHLP does not claim novelty for vaccination, nutrition, welfare, biosecurity, precision monitoring, or low-carbon practices considered separately. Its proposed contribution is a decision architecture that forecasts context- and stage-specific risk, detects deviation with a feasible sentinel dataset, activates a matched intervention before avoidable loss becomes clinically or economically visible, and recalibrates local triggers from animal, product, ecosystem, and livelihood outcomes. The hypothesized pathway links cold, hypoxia, forage scarcity, pathogen exposure, and management stress to sentinel change, trigger-based action, lower cumulative stress, and greater immune\u2013metabolic, rumen\u2013gut, and behavioral stability. We define entry points, priority rules, initial boundary conditions, measurable indicators, and three testable propositions for Tibetan sheep, yak, and other alpine ruminants. PHLP is expected to be most useful when a consequential risk has usable lead time, a sentinel variable can be observed, and a feasible action is available; it complements rather than replaces emergency clinical care and statutory disease control. Comparative longitudinal and multisite studies are needed to calibrate triggers and test whether PHLP improves decision timeliness and reduces seasonal body-condition loss, morbidity, mortality, antimicrobial treatment, product-quality variability, and emission intensity relative to reactive or calendar-based management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life16091509","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T10:27:21Z","timestamp":1789036041000},"page":"1509","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Toward a Theory of Proactive Health-Oriented Livestock Production: A Testable Conceptual Framework for Alpine Pastoral Systems"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Wenhao","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Veterinary Science, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China"},{"name":"Qilian Tibetan Sheep Industrial Development Research Institute of Qinghai Province, Qilian 810400, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuan","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Veterinary Science, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China"},{"name":"Qilian Tibetan Sheep Industrial Development Research Institute of Qinghai Province, Qilian 810400, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qi-Tala","family":"An","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Veterinary Science, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China"},{"name":"Qilian Tibetan Sheep Industrial Development Research Institute of Qinghai Province, Qilian 810400, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"799","article-title":"Proactive health: An imperative to achieve the goal of Healthy China","volume":"4","author":"Liu","year":"2022","journal-title":"China CDC Wkly."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wang, B., Lin, Q., Wang, Y., and Tang, S. (2023). Policy analysis of the integration of sports and medicine against the backdrop of Healthy China: A qualitative study using NVivo. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20032079"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mackenzie, J.S., and Jeggo, M. (2019). The One Health approach: Why is it so important?. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis., 4.","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed4020088"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4167","DOI":"10.2527\/1991.69104167x","article-title":"Animal welfare: Concepts and measurement","volume":"69","author":"Broom","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Anim. Sci."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1071\/AN15383","article-title":"Animal welfare and efficient farming: Is conflict inevitable?","volume":"57","author":"Dawkins","year":"2017","journal-title":"Anim. Prod. Sci."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compag.2008.05.005","article-title":"Is precision livestock farming an engineer\u2019s daydream or nightmare, an animal\u2019s friend or foe, and a farmer\u2019s panacea or pitfall?","volume":"64","author":"Wathes","year":"2008","journal-title":"Comput. Electron. Agric."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.20506\/rst.33.1.2273","article-title":"Precision livestock farming technologies for welfare management in intensive livestock systems","volume":"33","author":"Berckmans","year":"2014","journal-title":"Rev. Sci. Tech."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Papakonstantinou, G.I., Voulgarakis, N., Terzidou, G., Fotos, L., Giamouri, E., and Papatsiros, V.G. (2024). Precision livestock farming technology: Applications and challenges of animal welfare and climate change. Agriculture, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/agriculture14040620"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Renault, V., Humblet, M.-F., Pham, P.N., and Saegerman, C. (2021). Biosecurity at cattle farms: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Pathogens, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens10101315"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rodrigues da Costa, M., and Diana, A. (2022). A systematic review on the link between animal welfare and antimicrobial use in captive animals. Animals, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/ani12081025"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ibeagha-Awemu, E.M., Omonijo, F.A., Pich\u00e9, L.C., and Vincent, A.T. (2025). Alternatives to antibiotics for sustainable livestock production in the context of the One Health approach: Tackling a common foe. Front. Vet. Sci., 12.","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2025.1605215"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1093\/af\/vfy034","article-title":"Livestock and climate change: Impact of livestock on climate and mitigation strategies","volume":"9","author":"Grossi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Anim. Front."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"452","DOI":"10.1038\/nclimate2925","article-title":"Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials in the livestock sector","volume":"6","author":"Herrero","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nat. Clim. Change"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"26770","DOI":"10.1038\/srep26770","article-title":"Genome-wide analysis reveals adaptation to high altitudes in Tibetan sheep","volume":"6","author":"Wei","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"qzae030","DOI":"10.1093\/gpbjnl\/qzae030","article-title":"Multi-omic analyses shed light on the genetic control of high-altitude adaptation in sheep","volume":"22","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"Genom. Proteom. Bioinform."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wu, X., Zhang, G., Zhang, W., Zhou, J., Cong, H., Yang, G., and Liu, G. (2024). Rumen microbiota helps Tibetan sheep obtain energy more efficiently to survive in the extreme environment of the Qinghai\u2013Tibet Plateau. Front. Microbiol., 15.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2024.1431063"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fan, Q., Cui, X., Wang, Z., Chang, S., Wanapat, M., Yan, T., and Hou, F. (2021). Rumen microbiota of Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) adaptation to extremely cold season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Front. Vet. Sci., 8.","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2021.673822"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shah, A.M., Bano, I., Qazi, I.H., Matra, M., and Wanapat, M. (2023). \u201cThe yak\u201d\u2014A remarkable animal living in a harsh environment: An overview of its feeding, growth, production performance and contribution to food security. Front. Vet. Sci., 10.","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2023.1086985"},{"key":"ref_19","first-page":"1689","article-title":"Current status and development of health-oriented livestock and poultry production systems in China","volume":"47","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Zhongguo Xumu Shouyi"},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"8","article-title":"Concepts and technical systems for health-oriented livestock and poultry production","volume":"6","author":"Zhang","year":"2001","journal-title":"Zhongguo Dongwu Baojian"},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"112","article-title":"Development status, challenges and countermeasures for health-oriented livestock and poultry production in China","volume":"53","author":"Li","year":"2021","journal-title":"Xumu Yu Shouyi"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1071\/RJ14008","article-title":"The sustainable development of grassland-livestock systems on the Tibetan Plateau: Problems, strategies and prospects","volume":"36","author":"Shang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Rangel. J."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.15302\/J-FASE-2020378","article-title":"Grassland agriculture in China\u2014A review","volume":"8","author":"Hou","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Agric. Sci. Eng."},{"key":"ref_24","first-page":"89","article-title":"Exploring proactive livestock-health production to promote green and organic animal agriculture in Qinghai Province: A case study of Qilian County","volume":"29","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"Qinghai Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_25","first-page":"112","article-title":"Recommendations for proactive livestock-health production and green forage bases in Qinghai Province","volume":"31","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"Qinghai Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Xu, T., Xu, S., Hu, L., Zhao, N., Liu, Z., Ma, L., Liu, H., and Zhao, X. (2017). Effect of dietary types on feed intakes, growth performance and economic benefit in Tibetan sheep and yaks on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during cold season. PLoS ONE, 12.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0169187"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1093\/jas\/skx032","article-title":"Dietary supplements during the cold season increase rumen microbial abundance and improve rumen epithelium development in Tibetan sheep","volume":"96","author":"Jing","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Anim. Sci."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2662","DOI":"10.1002\/ldr.3596","article-title":"Rotational grazing promotes grassland aboveground plant biomass and its temporal stability under changing weather conditions on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau","volume":"31","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"Land Degrad. Dev."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e02515","DOI":"10.1002\/ecs2.2515","article-title":"Grazing management options for restoration of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau","volume":"9","author":"Wang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ecosphere"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Haslin, E., Allington, T., Blumer, S.E., Boshoff, J., Clarke, B.E., Hancock, S.N., Kearney, G.A., Kenyon, P.R., Krog, J., and Kubeil, L.J. (2023). Management of body condition score between pregnancy scanning and lamb marking impacts the survival of triplet-bearing ewes and their lambs. Animals, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/ani13132057"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tvjl.2017.11.013","article-title":"Use of rumination and activity data as health status and performance indicators in beef cattle during the early fattening period","volume":"231","author":"Marchesini","year":"2018","journal-title":"Vet. J."},{"key":"ref_32","first-page":"283","article-title":"Sensitivity of response of multi-trait index selection to changes in genetic correlations between production traits in sheep","volume":"46","author":"Safari","year":"2006","journal-title":"Aust. J. Exp. Agric."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Carnovale, F., Xiao, J., Shi, B., Kaart, T., Arney, D., and Phillips, C.J.C. (2021). The effects of vehicle type, transport duration and pre-transport feeding on the welfare of sheep transported in low temperatures. Animals, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/ani11061659"}],"container-title":["Life"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-1729\/16\/9\/1509\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T10:41:35Z","timestamp":1789036895000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-1729\/16\/9\/1509"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]]},"references-count":33,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["life16091509"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/life16091509","relation":{},"ISSN":["2075-1729"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2075-1729","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]]}}}