Institutional links
Farmed Animals Working Group
Documents - Workshop September 2007
Issue Statement - Farmed Animals
The following includes issues that were raised by both Farmed Animal Working Groups, led by the Canadian Animal Health Coalition (CAHC) and by L’Union des producteurs agricoles UPA.
- Lack of clarity in the roles and responsibilities of governments and industry stakeholders in Canada's animal health system
Some roles and responsibilities are entrenched in legislation and regulations. Clearly, they evolve with time as a result of the dynamics of political and international pressures, financial and fiscal realities, scientific knowledge and differences in the various attitudes/beliefs of decision-makers. A reaffirmation of the accepted roles and responsibilities of partners in the farmed animal sector is timely.
More understanding of the roles and responsibilities would lead to harmonization among the requirements designed by governments and industry. Currently, partners’ expectations of outcomes differ.
Roles and responsibilities of the players require clarification on emerging disease prevention, management and control.
- Animal health research is fragmented, with its funding often based on short-term projects.
Knowing what research is being conducted in Canada in the area of animal health is difficult; there is no official organization to collate and share this information with the partners involved in animal health.
The funding of public research is based on projects—mainly originating from the private sector.
- Lack of applied research to improve animal management practices in Canada>
An organized approach to animal health research in Canada would provide producers with ongoing access to improved tools, minimizing the impact of their production practices on the environment and on animal/public health. For example, much research is being conducted to discover new drugs and to analyze antimicrobial residues in meat and in the environment, but there is inadequate provision of new tools for producers to minimize the antimicrobial use in their productions. A gap exists between the basic research being done and the applied research required along the innovation continuum.
More encouragement should be provided to researchers who include knowledge transfer steps to producers in their innovation process.
- Lack of harmonization among legislative/regulatory and policy requirements of all levels of governments
Each federal, provincial and territorial government sets its own legislations/regulations/policies. The lack of harmonized rules impedes actions with respect to disease outbreak management. Animal carcass disposal policies, for example, differ across the country. Emergency planning prior to an outbreak would alleviate this, making all aware of the location and way to dispose of carcasses when action is required.
A lack of consistency in the requirements among the municipal, provincial and federal governments hinders innovation and commercialization of products (e.g. licensing for processing animal products). It is difficult to understand the “rules of the game,” because each locality differs.
- Lack of policy/program development support for industry
Governments provide funding to industry associations on a project-by-project basis. However, no funding program exists for ongoing industry activities to consolidate the project outcomes into delivery strategies.
Governments should ensure industry groups' financial ability to contribute to the policy/program development process by allowing industry groups to be equipped with appropriate technology and sufficient human resources to work in true partnership with governments.
- Unclear decision-making criteria for compensation of producers after market collapse subsequent to an outbreak
Any animal disease outbreak can have devastating consequences for an animal sector. No horse movement, for instance, could occur as a result of the incursion of foot and mouth disease in Canada and thus affect the equine sector significantly.
Governments in Canada should compensate all sectors affected by an animal health issue of significance. Note that “compensation,” for farmed animal purposes, includes “financial business risk management” and “recovery programs.”
- Priority-setting decisions of governments are not always aligned with what industry needs
Canada has limited resources to allocate to the farmed animal sector. Industry is looking to join into a true partnership with governments to decide on the priorities for funding.
Guidelines should be developed to clarify what is within the “public good” domain and what is within the “private good” area.
- All countries have their own animal health requirements that are not always aligned with those defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
There is a lack of appropriate mechanisms to allow industry to participate fully in the international standard-setting process.
Companion animals have an undisputable impact on human well-being. Clearly, dogs assist with needs for those who are blind, and animals assist those in mental health institutions (zoo therapy) and enhance the attitude and well-being of elderly people in extended health care facilities. In all these cases, animal contact leads to the continued active involvement of Canadians in our society.
- The lack of new pharmaceutical products in Canada provides a competitive advantage to U.S. producers
Canada drug/biologics approval system differs from that in the U.S. In fact, drugs and veterinary biologic products are approved more quickly in the U.S. A faster approval system would allow Canadian producers access to drugs/products already available in the U.S.
- Disease transmission from wildlife to farmed animals can have significant consequences for the sector
Feral horses and deer, for example, could come into contact and transmit diseases to domestic horses. Defining and enforcing preventative measures would limit disease transmission from wildlife to farmed animals.
