Animal Health: an All-Species Objective

by Keith Flaman, Secretary-Manager

Commodity groups band together in mitigating risk of disease in livestock production industry.

In 1978, scientists predicted new diseases would emerge every 10-15 years. Ten years later, that was revised to 8-9 years. Today, the estimation is 14-16 months. Interestingly, SARS, West Nile Virus, Avian Flu, BSE, and chronic wasting disease were not on the radar screen in Canada 15 years ago.

Add to that the complication of cross species infection, global warming, introduction of species into unfamiliar environments, immigration, and world travel. Some species are hosts to diseases that are lethal in other species. Wildlife, birds, and insects demonstrate complete disrespect for the rules and regulations established by political institutions.

How do we deal with these realities? How do we shield our industries, be competitive domestically and globally, all the while maintaining the confidence of the consumer? How do we mitigate the risk?

The first step is to get all livestock commodity groups that produce food to understand and agree that animal disease, regardless of species, affects everyone. The second step is to rise above traditional parochial thinking and band together in the common fight to ensure that a course of action is established to mitigate the risk of disease in the livestock production industry.

Bringing together commodity groups that historically have not worked together and, in fact, have seen each other as competitors is a challenge. These include bovine (dairy and beef), hogs, poultry, sheep, goats, bison, cervids (deer), equine, and others in the future. These commodity groups and species have diverse backgrounds and histories, which have produced different business philosophies.

If, however, the focus is for a common good, and the political will is present to make the livestock production industry more competitive in quality and safety, then all obstacles will undoubtedly be overcome.

A provisional industry board, currently known as the Canadian Livestock Identification Agency (CLIA), has been established to deal with the challenges of determining a common vision among the livestock commodity groups on the requirements to establish a National Livestock Health Program.

If the focus is for a common good, and the political will is present ...
then all obstacles will undoubtedly be overcome.

Standards for identification, readability of identification devices, database and data transfer, premise identification and traceability need to be agreed upon. Surveillance, to ensure compliance, must be vigilant and non-compliance dealt with effectively.

The goal within the commodity groups must be to set the highest possible standard considering reasonable costs in resources (financial, time, and convenience) to achieve the most benefit for all. The livestock production industry cannot ignore the peril of a single partner risking the future of the industry or another partner.

The livestock production industry in Canada will emerge stronger, more aware of the workings of the food chain and more in tune with the consumer. As well, the industry will be more competitive globally by establishing and meeting the highest standards for livestock production in the world.