During the second day of the workshop after a field trip to a sheep farming operation (please see the "farm tour") the discussion turned towards farming and related issues. Numerous aspects of farming were discussed such as the effect of farming on the environment, biosecurity of farms and the current financial burden placed on farmers by disease outbreaks. To learn explore the different aspects of the discussion click a link below
Focus Groups (Farms, the Environment and Human Health)
Biosecurity in Farming (the summary)
Farming: The Slide Show (A Brief Intro to Biosecurity
by the Vetrinary students at the University of Guelph)
Environmental Best Practices for Farms in Ontario
Farms, the Environment and Human Health
During the afternoon of the workshop farming practices to limit the spread of disease and the environmental footprint of the farm were disscussed in small groups. Each group advocated for a different viewpoint which included: human health, farm health and environmental health. Each group proposed issues important to from their viewpoint, strategies for approaching the issues and finally research questions that would make the issues easier to resolve.
Issues
Infectious disease (from meat or from animal contact)
Exposure/leaching of toxins, effluent
Social values, demands, public opinion, anxiety/stress related to perceived risks
Nutritional quality of food
Strategies
1. Decrease prevalence of disease on farms
· hygiene, appropriate use of drugs, increased detection and surveillance
· better diagnosis of diseases
· biosecurity – minimize animal movement
2. Controlling food production contamination
· more checkpoints along chain
· proper storage
· enforcement of regulations
3. Public education
· proper food handling techniques, cooking times, storage
· food labelling
4. Improved animal tracking
· “farm-to-fork” tracking to quickly identify sources of contaminated food
Research Questions
1. How to detect and kill prions?
2. What is the prevalence of disease from prions?
3. What are the rates of infection and detection for rare prion diseases?
4. What are the routes of transmission for prion diseases, especially rare forms?
5. Checkpoint analysis – where does the contamination come from?
6. What are the appropriate techniques for storing and cooking meat to prevent infection?
Issues
1. Economics
· manure disposal (building bunks)
· biosecurity
· deadstock disposal
· consumer expectations (meat quality)
2. Herd health
· maximal efficiency (reproduction, growth)
· disease control and management to decrease prevalence
3. Social
· finances, family, livelihood
Strategies
1. Government subsidies for better biosecurity, manure disposal
2. Public awareness - educate about the cost of food production, increase the cost of meat
3. Better marketing of products
4. Biosecurity – small steps
5. Better farm design – placement of manure piles, etc
6. Information
Research Questions
1. What is the transmission rate of disease from animals to humans?
2. Quota for sheep?
3. What would help farmers make changes on farms – economic options?
Issues
1. Contamination of waterways
· waste management and nutrient inputs
· hormones and antibiotics as inputs
· bacterial contamination
2. Wildlife contact and disease
3. Air quality (e.g. methane production)
4. Land use
Strategies
1. Proper land use and design
· placement of manure pile proper distances from waterways
· use of appropriate containers for manure/deadstock
· effective composting practices
· pasture rotation
· minimize contact with wild animals (e.g. fences)
2. Minimize hormone and antibiotic use
· use minimum quantities
· minimize prophylactic use
3. Reduce stocking densities of animals
Research Questions
1. What is the rate of accumulation and persistence of antibiotics and hormones in the environment?
2. What are appropriate doses for hormones?
3. Is there stream and groundwater contamination?
4. What are the impacts on surrounding environment?
5. What are the optimal land use practices and designs to minimize contamination?
6. What are the impacts on air quality?
