Veterinarians around the world are looking at the impact parasites have on food production, as the agriculture sector prepares to feed an expected global population of seven billion people by 2030 and nine billion by 2050.
Professor Julie Fitzpatrick from the Moredun Research Institute in Scotland says the efficient production of safe and affordable protein is often compromised by parasites, particularly in developing countries.
"Some have the impact in terms of the safety to humans who eat livestock species, but we're mostly interested in those that affect the efficiency of livestock production because we believe that we can address those diseases, help to prevent and cure them and hence make animals more efficient to produce more meat per input value."
Professor Fitzpatrick says it's difficult to quantify the economic impact of parasites on food production.
"As soon as you undertake an economic studies they're out of date immediately.
"Modelling approaches, perhaps that's the way forward."
Dr Doug Gray, speaking on behalf of the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR), says parasites impact access to food.
"Some of the tropical diseases restrict animals coming into Australia and moving between countries, in that sense they restrict trade and that restricts the availability of food."
Parasites are often viewed as a hindrance to food production but Dr Gray says it's important to keep in mind that parasites are an indication of ecological health.
"Parasites have evolved with their hosts.
"If we take drastic measures against them they respond, they evolve, they develop resistance to the chemicals we use.
"So in many ways we're better having just the right amount of parasites, there's a stable relationship between parasites and their hosts."
Both Professor Fitzpatrick and Dr Gray were speakers at the Wold Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitolgy conference in Perth 25th - 29th August 2013.