Journal History

The Revista de la Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia (Rev. Med. Vet. Zoot.) was founded in December 1929 under the name Revista de Medicina Veterinaria by Dr. Domenico Giovine, then Dean of the Escuela Nacional de Veterinaria of Colombia. Conceived as the official scholarly organ of the School, the journal was created to disseminate veterinary knowledge, strengthen professional identity, and support the scientific and technical development of animal health and livestock production in the country.

From its first issue, the journal articulated a clear mission: to promote rigorous scientific thought, combat empiricism, and foster the application of veterinary science to improve animal health, public health, and livestock productivity. The founding editorial emphasized the role of veterinary professionals as pioneers in Colombia, working under challenging conditions to advance hygiene, disease control, food production, and national economic development. The journal also served as a platform for professional dialogue, ethical reflection, and the defense of veterinary practice, reinforcing cohesion within the emerging academic and professional community.

The history of the journal is closely linked to the institutional development of veterinary and animal sciences in Colombia. The origins of veterinary education in the country date back to the late nineteenth century, particularly to the work of the French veterinarian Claude Vericel, who arrived in Colombia in 1884 and founded the first official School of Veterinary Medicine in 1885. This institutional legacy culminated in the establishment of the Escuela Nacional de Veterinaria in 1920, which later became part of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. In 1935, it was formally incorporated as the Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, and in 1944 the discipline of Animal Science (Zootecnia) was added, reflecting the growing importance of animal production, genetics, nutrition, and reproduction.

As the Faculty evolved into the Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, the journal expanded its thematic scope accordingly. Over the decades, it has documented and accompanied the development of veterinary clinical sciences, pathology, microbiology, toxicology, animal nutrition, genetics, reproduction, animal production systems, and livestock product processing. The journal has also reflected the increasing relevance of public health, animal welfare, environmental sustainability, wildlife and conservation medicine, and the One Health approach.

Throughout its history, the journal has maintained a commitment to openness, transparency, and academic rigor. It has served as a forum for original research articles, review articles, case reports, and scholarly reflections, contributing to the consolidation of veterinary medicine and animal sciences as scientific disciplines in Colombia and Latin America. Its editorial philosophy has consistently emphasized peer review, ethical publishing practices, and the dissemination of knowledge for the benefit of society.

Today, Revista de la Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia is one of the oldest continuously published academic journals in veterinary and animal sciences in the region. Published by the Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the journal historically followed a traditional issue-based publication model. Since Volume 70, Issue 3, it has adopted a continuous publication model, in which articles are published online as soon as they complete the editorial process, while maintaining three issues per year for organizational and archival purposes. Through this model and an open-access policy, the journal continues its historical mission of disseminating high-quality scientific research and contributing to the advancement of animal health, animal production, public health, and environmental sustainability in a global context.