| As the world's population grows, the need to ensure | | | | of having pandemics. Other illnesses such as West |
| food safety from farms to fork has become a major | | | | Nile virus, bluetongue and foot and mouth disease are |
| international concern, with most of the attention | | | | some recent examples of highly contagious animal |
| focused on livestock. Producer Zulima Palacio talked | | | | illnesses that can travel around the globe just as fast |
| to some of the world authorities in this field. Mil | | | | as humans do. |
| Arcega narrates the story. | | | | In order to keep their livestock healthy, producers |
| The world's population is growing at a tremendous | | | | have embraced the regular use of antibiotics. |
| pace - adding about 78 million people a year. United | | | | Bernard Vallat from OIE says the use of antibiotics |
| Nations estimates show that by the year 2030 more | | | | can be dangerous if they are not carefully controlled |
| than eight billion people will inhabit the Earth, straining | | | | by veterinarians. But he says thousands of tons of |
| the world's ability to feed itself. | | | | antibiotics are used worldwide every year. "If |
| Bernard Vallat is the director of the World | | | | antibiotics are used as sweets [like candy] - without |
| Organization for Animal Health, or OIE [for Office | | | | control - this is dangerous, because bacteria in animals |
| International des Epizooties] describes the operation. | | | | can become resistant and then infect humans." |
| "We know that we have in the coming 10 years, one | | | | The population pressure for the fast and massive |
| billion additional meat consumers in China, India and | | | | production of animal products has also forced |
| other emerging countries" he said. | | | | livestock production into higher density, with fewer |
| "In the following two decades the demand for animal | | | | but more productive animal breeds. |
| products is going to double and so the supply is going | | | | Anni McLeod of the U.N. Food and Agriculture |
| to follow the demand and because of all kind of | | | | Organization (FAO) says genetic diversity may be |
| constraints, this supply of animal products is going to | | | | needed in the future. "In poultry for example, there |
| come from developing countries," said Francois Le | | | | are about three or four companies that control most |
| Gall. | | | | of the poultry breeds in the world and there are |
| Le Gall, of the World Bank agrees with Vallat's | | | | very, very few breeds that make up the genetic |
| assessment that only 40 out of about 200 countries | | | | stock of all the commercial poultry that we have" |
| in the world have the capacity to respond to a health | | | | McLeod said. |
| crisis that originates from animal disease. | | | | There are no global estimates for environmental, |
| Two diseases in particular - mad cow and avian flu - | | | | social and economic losses due to illnesses of animals |
| have had devastating effects in the last 20 years. | | | | raised for human consumption. McLeod suggests |
| Mad cow disease first emerged among cattle in | | | | thinking of a very large number and adding several |
| Britain in the mid 1980s, and since then has appeared | | | | zeros. |
| in other European countries, North America and Asia. | | | | McLeod adds, "Almost any estimate we come out |
| It has forced the destruction of large herds, caused | | | | with is going to be like an iceberg, and the part that |
| huge economic losses and the deaths of about 150 | | | | affects really poor people would be the piece under |
| people. | | | | water, that you don't know about." |
| Avian flu, also known as the H5N1 virus, first | | | | McLeod and others agree that if nothing is done to |
| appeared in 2003, and has forced the slaughter of | | | | prevent diseases in livestock for human consumption |
| about 100 million birds in Asia, especially in Vietnam. | | | | the world could face a major crisis in the next 10 |
| The human and economic losses have been | | | | years. |
| devastating. | | | | "I wouldn't call Avian influenza in any way positive, |
| "This is not a new situation, diseases that are coming | | | | but perhaps one thing it has enabled us to do is to |
| from animals to humans - it's happened since | | | | highlight the fact that investment is going to be |
| beginning of humanity. But the reason for the new | | | | needed for a long time" McLeod said. |
| trends now is the globalization, climate change, | | | | The international community is mobilizing to meet the |
| mobility of the population, the globalization of animal | | | | challenge. The World Bank, the U.N. and the World |
| products, etceteras. Every year we have a new | | | | Organization for Animal Health or OIE are all working |
| disease and 75 percent of these diseases are of | | | | together on several levels regarding food safety, |
| animal origin." Le Gall added. | | | | veterinarian services, packing and transportation. |
| Le Gall says globalization has enhanced the probability | | | | |