Study calls for multi-sector approach to bird flu
Planning decisions and financial risk also factored into avian influenza management.
A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has warned of ‘wider challenges’ for the poultry industry as it continues to tackle high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI).
Findings revealed that, as well as farm-level biosecurity, other factors including planning, infrastructure and financial risk are key to preparing for and respond to disease outbreaks.
To investigate the structure of the poultry sector, researchers from RVC and the University of Cambridge conducted a structural assessment of Great Britain’s poultry industry. The analysis was considered in relation to avian influenza resilience.
The methodology included a review of scientific literature, policy documents and industry evidence; 19 interviews with stakeholders; and farm visits.
Researchers went on to map poultry production and distribution networks, as well as performing a structural economic analysis which considered many dimensions. A critical political ecological framework allowed them to analyse where tensions between social, economic and ecological aspects occur.
The findings revealed that, alongside the measures taken on individual farms, wider factors in the poultry sector also influenced resilience to avian influenza.
This included planning decisions, such as the location of poultry production sites in the country. Researchers say that the way these premises are balanced alongside environmental priorities and local communities can have an influence on disease resilience.
Similarly, financial risk can limit access to avian influenza insurance and other arrangements that support producers managing outbreaks.
Poultry meat, egg and gamebird sectors each faced different production challenges and disease risks. The concentration of poultry production and processing infrastructure can also influence risks.
Researchers are now calling for a multi-sectoral approach towards avian influenza. They suggest that, as demand for poultry grows, better decisions about where poultry developments are located and how disease risk is managed will become increasingly important.
Mat Hennessey, a lecturer in Agribusiness at the RVC< said: “While the day-to-day activities which occur on and around farms are important in maintaining disease security, our study takes a step back to think about the long-term vision for a resilient poultry sector.
“Our structural analysis identifies key challenges around planning where poultry production could occur and how producers are able to insure themselves against the ongoing threat of Avian Influenza.”
The full study can be found in the journal Environmental Research: Food Systems.
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