Injection-site lesion prevalence and potential risk factors in UK beef cattle

Injectable veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) are widely used in cattle in the UK, and in particular vaccines are often used on large numbers of animals in the herd. The formation of injection-site lesions (ISLs) is a risk when using injectable products and has potential consequences for meat quality, animal welfare and beef industry income. This study used carcase observation in four abattoirs in England to determine ISL prevalence in beef cattle. Additionally, a questionnaire survey was used to investigate vaccination technique among UK beef farmers. The ISL prevalence was 4.1 per cent (95 per cent CI 3.4 per cent to 4.9 per cent). A potential difference between sites being used for vaccination and the distribution of ISLs on carcases suggested that factors other than vaccination were contributing to ISL incidence. Questionnaire responses highlighted deficits in good vaccination practices such as using the recommended site of injection and needle hygiene. The role of the veterinarian in knowledge transfer is crucial in providing practical injection advice when prescribing vaccines and other VMPs. This study identified factors to address when aiming to reduce ISL formation in UK beef animals

Increase in the flock prevalence of lameness in ewes is associated with a reduction in farmers using evidence-based management of prompt treatment : a longitudinal observational study of 154 English sheep flocks 2013–2015

Since 2006, farmers in England have received new recommendations on best practice to manage lameness in sheep through a range of knowledge exchange activities. The adoption of each recommendation varied, but in 2013 approximately 50% of farmers reported treating all lame sheep within 3 days of onset of lameness (prompt treatment), 41% did not practice routine foot trimming, 50% culled sheep that had been lame and 14% vaccinated against footrot; all recommended best practices. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of lameness in ewes in England from 2013 to 2015 and to identify changes in practice to manage lameness between 2013 and 2015 and the population attributable fraction for these managements. A longitudinal study with a cohort of 154 English sheep farmers was run for three years, farmers completed questionnaires on lameness in their flock for the previous 12 months in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The geometric mean prevalence of lameness in ewes was 4.1% in 2015, significantly higher than 3.3% and 3.2% for the same 128 farmers who provided data in both 2013 and 2014. Between 2013 and 2015 there was a significant reduction in farmers practising prompt treatment (50.6%–28.6%) but an increase in not practising routine foot trimming (40.9%–79.2%), culling sheep that had been lame (49.4%–81.8%), and vaccinating against footrot (14.3%–29.2%). Not practising prompt treatment, ≥5% of sheep feet bleeding during routine foot trimming, vaccinating ewes for 5 years, not treating lame sheep promptly, ≥5% of sheep feet bleeding during routine foot trimming, and mixing of flocks were 34.5%, 25.3%, 2.9% and 2.4%. In 2013, when 50% of farmers used prompt treatment, the PAF for not using prompt treatment was only 13.3%. We conclude that the change in practice by these farmers towards flock-level managements and a reduction in individual prompt treatment of lame sheep negatively impacted the prevalence of lameness in sheep. This change occurred despite the evidence that prompt treatment of lame sheep is highly effective at reducing the prevalence of lameness in sheep flocks and is an example of cognitive dissonance

Consumer Preferences Regarding Country of Origin for Multiple Meat Products

Despite the growing use of country of origin (CoO) information and labels on food, the extent to which consumers really value this information is unclear. In an effort to understand this issue we present results of a hypothetical discrete choice experiment examining consumer willingness-to-pay for CoO information about meat and meat products. Our results reveal that CoO information is positively valued for all the food products we consider. However, it is relatively less important compared to other food attributes for a large number of products such as bacon, pizza and ready meals. Our results suggest that consumers do not value very highly CoO information for many of the food products examined. Therefore, if the associated costs of mandatory CoO implementation are sufficiently high this raises questions about the inclusion of this information on food labels

The application of an ecosystem services framework to estimate the economic value of dung beetles to the U.K. cattle industry

Agrobiodiversity is declining across global farm production systems. These declines transcend both farm animal genetic resources (FAnGR) and plant genetic resources (PGR). Both can sustain greater adaptability and resilience in commercial production through so called ‘option value’. In addition, PGR and FAnGR embody cultural and heritage attributes that are often absent in global agriculture, but remain valued by society. Conservation is therefore important and economic incentives represent a potential supply-side mechanism to improve the status of rare breeds, cultivars and crop wild relatives. Yet, the exploration of incentive instruments for their conservation remains underexplored but may improve conservation outcomes. Using different survey instruments and modelling approaches (including choice modelling, linear programming and multi criteria decision analysis) I investigate how rationalising incentive support, through more targeted interventions, could result in better conservation outcomes. The findings suggest optimising subsidy support relies on three key factors. First, conservation contracts offered to farmers for conservation should reflect local farm business preferences and circumstances. This includes addressing barriers-to-entry in conservation programmes and the design of contractual schemes, that when improved will likely increase participation in conservation contracts. Second, identifying least cost suppliers of conservation services may enable more diversity to be conserved at comparable cost. Third, optimising what species, varieties and breeds are supported may improve conservation outcomes through more rational investments in diversity. Policy responses to address declining agrobiodiversity should consider the use of tender instruments (i.e. reverse auctions) to identify least cost suppliers for conservation services. Optimisation modelling and decision analysis techniques can be used to measure trade-offs inherent in different conservation goals, including social equity and diversity. Ultimately there is a need to balance the supply of use and non-use values of diversity that span the total economic value framework. While the drive for sustainable intensification of production may improve productivity, we need to be clear how breed and cultivar diversity can be encompassed into future policy priorities that reflect the need for greater food security plus cultural and heritage value attributes. The implications of deploying new and potentially disruptive technologies (i.e. gene editing) in the context of farm diversity are discussed

Understanding the influence of farmer motivations on changes to soil erosion risk on sites of former serious erosion in the South Downs National Park, UK

Serious soil erosion occurred in the South Downs National Park, southern England in the years 1982–2006 and details of around 400 sites are contained in a database. In 2010 we revisited 85 of the most serious sites where erosion of >10 m3 ha−1 y−1 had been recorded in order to assess land use change and any conservation measures undertaken. At 79% of the sites land use change had resulted in a reduction in the risk of erosion, most notably at 28 sites with a shift to permanent grass from winter cereals. At only 21% of sites was the risk of erosion unchanged. Twenty two farmers responsible for 66 of the sites were interviewed. Land management practices had changed on all of the fields of interest to this study since the time of the serious erosion events, to those which have the potential to lower soil erosion risk. Sixteen interviewees claimed that erosion was a motivating reason for changing their practices, due to either experiencing on or on- and off-farm impacts firsthand (12), having knowledge or suspicion of serious erosion having occurred on their land prior to their management (three), or having no knowledge of any serious erosion on their land but just wanting to reduce overall erosion risk (one). Amongst the main changes reported are changes of land use from winter cereals to grass or to overwinter stubble which have undoubtedly reduced the risk of erosion. However, some changed practices claimed by farmers, such as along-the-contour-working, earlier sowing and the use of rollers may be of little value. Furthermore, deeper analysis of farmers’ motivations regarding changes in land management practices suggests a complex picture in which a range of socio-economic influences come into play over time including financial incentives offered by agri-environmental schemes which were found to be an important driver of change. Future changes in farming economics may therefore undermine the reduction in erosion risk in the longer term

Forest regeneration on European sheep pasture is an economically viable climate change mitigation strategy

Livestock production uses 37% of land globally and is responsible for 15% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Yet livestock farmers across Europe receive billions of dollars in annual subsidies to support their livelihoods. This study evaluates whether diverting European subsidies into the restoration of trees on abandoned farmland represents a cost-effective negative-emissions strategy for mitigating climate change. Focusing on sheep farming in the United Kingdom, and on natural regeneration and planted native forests, we show that, without subsidies, sheep farming is not profitable when farmers are paid for their labour. Despite the much lower productivity of upland farms, upland and lowland farms are financially comparable per hectare. Conversion to 'carbon forests' is possible via natural regeneration when close to existing trees, which are seed sources. This strategy is financially viable without subsidies, meeting the net present value of poorly performing sheep farming at a competitive $4/tCO2eq. If tree planting is required to establish forests, then ~$55/tCO2eq is needed to break-even, making it uneconomical under current carbon market prices without financial aid to cover establishment costs. However, this break-even price is lower than the theoretical social value of carbon ($68/tCO2eq), which represents the economic cost of CO2 emissions to society. The viability of land-use conversion without subsidies therefore depends on low farm performance, strong likelihood of natural regeneration, and high carbon-market price, plus overcoming potential trade-offs between the cultural and social values placed on pastoral livestock systems and climate change mitigation. The morality of subsidising farming practices that cause high greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, whilst spending billions annually on protecting forest carbon in less developed nations to slow climate change is questionable

Тhe effect of Cr substitution for Fe on ferroelectric and magnetic properties of PbFe0.5Nb0.5O3, PbFe0.5Sb0.5O3 and BiFeO3 multiferroics

Проведены диэлектрические и мессбауэровские исследования сегнетоэлектрических и магнитных фазовых переходов в твердых растворах PbFe0.5-xCrxNb0.5O3, BiFe1-xCrxO3, PbFe0.5-xCrxSb0.5O3. Во всех этих системах замещение железа хромом разрушает как сегнетоэлектрический, так и магнитный дальний порядок.PbFe0.5-xCrxNb0.5O3, BiFe1-xCrxO3, PbFe0.5-xCrxSb0.5O3 solid solutions have been carried out. In all the systems studied Cr substitution for Fe destroys both ferroelectric and magnetic long-range order.Работа выполнена при поддержке Российского Фонда Фундаментальных Исследований (грант 16-52-0072 Бел_a) и Белорусского Республиканского Фонда Фундаментальных Исследований (грант T16R-079)

Environmental sustainability assessment of ready-made baby foods: Meals, menus and diets

Although there is a growing body of literature on the environmental impacts of food, virtually none of the studies has addressed baby foods. Therefore, this work explored the life cycle environmental impacts of different ready-made baby foods, both at the level of individual meals and their combinations within a weekly menu. Twelve different meals were considered, based on baby food products available on the UK market, spanning breakfast, lunch and dessert. Menus following four different diets – omnivorous, vegetarian, pescatarian and dairy-free – were also evaluated. The results showed that, on average, lunch meals had the highest impacts and desserts the lowest. Breakfast has either intermediate (wet porridge) or low (dry porridge) impacts. Among the lunch meals, spaghetti Bolognese and salmon risotto had the highest impacts and among the desserts, strawberry, raspberry and banana as well as apple, pear and banana purees had the lowest. The key hotspots across the meals were raw materials and packaging. Meals with more meat and cream were found to have higher impacts. Manufacturing also played a significant role for global warming potential as well as depletion of fossil resources and the ozone layer due to the fossil fuels used in the process. When the impacts were analysed per mass of baby food consumed weekly, the dairy-free diet had higher impacts than the other three, but the difference among them was relatively small. The trends changed when nutritional value was taken into account, with the dairy-free diet exhibiting considerably higher impacts per unit of energy content. In that case, the pescatarian diet became the best option for most impacts. There was little difference between the omnivore and vegetarian diets. It is expected that these results will be of interest to baby food manufacturers and consumers, helping them to make more informed manufacturing and purchasing decisions