Poultry focus group: Challenges facing the sector

The Simpson Centre initiated a focus group for agricultural industry stakeholders in the Canadian poultry sector to gauge their opinions on the current interaction of this sector with policy, the challenges that are specific to this sector, and their short-term and long- term priorities . Most concerns and frustrations voiced by participants involved the restrictions of the supply management system; however, the focus group felt the system provided protections that made poultry farming economically feasible . Participants felt there was a lack of meaningful consultation between different levels of government and the poultry sector, resulting in rigid regulatory requirements, and furthermore that the tension between consumers’ demands for low-cost food and producers’ challenges supplying the industry at a low cost has resulted in the need for investment and prioritizations of innovative practices

Pour une prescription et une délivrance raisonnées du médicament vétérinaire : L'exemple de la mise en place du guide de bonnes pratiques du médicament vétérinaire

Le marché du médicament vétérinaire, structuré en différents étages, atteint un chiffre d affaires de 896 millions d euros en France en 2003. Les animaux de rente sont les utilisateurs majoritaires de médicament. Les étages structurant le marché correspondent aux étapes de la vie du médicament : fabrication, distribution en gros, distribution au détail par les trois ayant droit). La Loi du 29 mai 1975 pose les bases réglementaires de la fabrication, de la prescription et de la distribution du médicament vétérinaire. Son application semble toutefois ne pas être totalement effective, notamment en ce qui concerne la distribution. La situation actuelle de la distribution du médicament vétérinaire en France pourrait être à l origine de risques de santé publique. Toutefois, la réglementation connaît depuis quelques années de profondes réformes ayant pour but de sécuriser l'utilisation du médicamenrt vétérinaire, mais engendre des problèmes de disponibilité. Le vétérinaire praticien rural doit développer des outils pour répondre à la fois aux attentes réglementaires et professionnelles

The Association Between French Veterinary Practice Characteristics and Their Revenues and Veterinarian's Time Use

The provision of healthcare by veterinarians consists of a blend of activities ensuring welfare for animals. It also contributes in the control of infectious diseases and food safety. In general practices, most of the activities generate incomes for veterinarians, notably acts (consultations, surgery, etc.) and sales (drugs, pet food, etc.). Increased size of veterinary practices and the arrival of corporate companies modify the veterinary landscape in many countries. In a context of rapid growth of the companion animal health market, the question of the profitability of veterinary activities is relevant. Indeed, beyond a certain threshold, veterinarians may be tempted to leave behind food-producing animals' acts and focus on companion animals' acts, which are generally recognized to be more profitable and more attractive for new generations of veterinarians. A survey was conducted in French veterinary mixed practices, and a regression analysis was used to quantify the relationships between the turnover and the characteristics of veterinary practices, the time to perform veterinary acts, and the characteristics of veterinarians. We found that the characteristics of veterinary practices are positively associated with the turnover and the price of acts, and that there was an association between the status of veterinarians (associate, collaborator, or employee) and the time required to perform companion animals' and food-producing animals' acts. The present study is the first study showing the association between the characteristics of veterinary practices and the turnover, by investigating the price of veterinary acts and the time required

Beef focus group: Challenges facing the sector

The Simpson Centre initiated a focus group for agricultural industry stakeholders specifically in the Canadian beef sector to gauge their opinions on the current interaction of this sector with policy, the challenges that are specific to this sector, and their short-term and long-term priorities. The majority of concerns and frustrations that were voiced by participants involved a lack of parity and revenue flow between the various aspects of the beef industry, as well as a lack of accurate representation and industry knowledge by policy makers, which many believed had resulted in an abundance of red tape. Nearly all participants spoke to specific challenges they face within the sector that included the cold climate within Canada that makes it harder to compete on an international level and maintain the daily tasks of a producer, as well as challenges facing the longevity of the industry in Canada and incentivizing younger generations to join the sector. &nbsp

Toward System Change to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance: Improving the Voluntary Stewardship of Antimicrobials in US Agriculture

From Executive Summary:This report presents the details of a research study looking at the potential for improving voluntary stewardship of antimicrobials in US agriculture, in the interests of tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Failure to address AMR could lead to significant impacts on both human and animal health. Voluntary stewardship is an approach that relies on the willingness of food-animal producers and supportive industries (e.g., veterinary services and pharmaceutical companies), as well as broader stakeholders (e.g., public health policymakers and consumer advocates), to ensure the judicious use of antimicrobials without the need for regulation, legislation, mandatory compliance or statutory enforcement

Shaping agricultural policies in the Anthropocene era: what can we learn from the DPSIR framework?

The global agricultural sector often doesn’t get the attention it deserves, usually because of its secondary economic importance and because no major structural shifts in demand for agricultural commodities are expected. However, there is considerable variation between high-income and developing countries. If the world is to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, seven of whichare closely related to agriculture, then the effects of agricultural production on local cultures, societies and environments need careful consideration. Applying the driver-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) framework helps in understanding interactions between actors and sectors, and overall in better designing agricultural policies. The DPSIR framework is a holistic approach to policy created by the European Environment Agency that facilitates the identification and description of processes and interactions in human-environmental systems. DPSIR recognizes agriculture as being multi-functional. The agricultural sector not only produces food, it also provides ecosystem services like pollination, pest control, soil conservation and biodiversity. Drivers such as food production, recreation and tourism, fulfil human needs but put pressure on the environment. Pressures are physical changes in the environment in response to drivers. These can range from land-use shifts to disease outbreaks to climate change. States are the sum of societal, economic and environmental functions measured with indicators. Measurements include a vast range of factors, including air and water quality, as well as job security, human well-being and agricultural production. Impacts are a direct result of changes in state for both the economy (e.g., employment, income, prices) and the environment (e.g., environmental damage, emissions, land improvement). Responses are intended to modify outcomes by changing human actions and mitigating undesirable results. Responses could be anything from reforming agricultural policies to designating protected areas to restricting emissions. DPSIR’s main tenet is that human societies and nature are interdependent. Since agriculture involves externalities associated with production and consumption, it’s important for policy-makers to adopt a systemic approach. DPSIR doesn’t directly consider ethics and equity. Some agricultural externalities are not constrained by borders and others affect future generations, so these factors must also be taken into account. Reliable, shared metrics must be carefully chosen and publicly available data are necessary to evaluate program outcomes

Financer le système de santé animale : quel compromis entre efficience économique et résilience aux crises sanitaires ? Réflexions extraites d’un groupe de discussion d’experts vétérinaires

International audienceDespite sustained agricultural production and a growing animal health market, support in terms of animal health management is waning, in particular due to veterinary shortage capable to supply healthcare demand and sanitary surveillance in France. A focus group held in 2021 explored three themes: the remuneration of future health counselling duties; the interest of practices networks to strengthen the veterinary surveillance system, and the definition of future systems of collaboration (instruments, methods of application) between veterinarians, farmers and government. In animal production, one of the challenges for independent veterinarians is to support a shift in farmers’ decision-making and to convince of the value of non-use of the veterinarian, i.e., providing services that go far beyond the provision of treatments. Contracts appear to be a logical response to these challenges, but terms of application (legal and financial) remain to be defined.Malgré une production agricole soutenue, et un marché de la santé animale en progression, le support en termes de management de santé animale s’étiole, notamment dû au manque de disponibilité de vétérinaires en capacité d’exercer soins et surveillance sanitaire sur le territoire français. Un groupe de discussion a réfléchi fin 2021 sur trois thèmes : la rémunération des nouvelles missions de conseil; l’intérêt des réseaux de compétences pour renforcer le maillage vétérinaire, et la définition des futurs systèmes de collaboration (instruments, modalités d’application) entre vétérinaires, éleveurs, et l’Etat. Un des défis pour les vétérinaires indépendants est de proposer un partenariat gagnant-gagnant aux éleveurs, et de convaincre de la valeur de non usage du vétérinaire, assurant des services dépassant largement le cadre des soins thérapeutiques. La contractualisation apparait comme une réponse crédible à ces enjeux, mais ses modalités d’application (légales et financières) restent à définir. Mots-Clés : économie, politiques publiques, santé animale, vétérinair

Pour une prescription et une délivrance raisonnées du médicament vétérinaire (l exemple de la mise en place du "Guide de bonnes pratiques du médicament vétérinaire")

Le marché du médicament vétérinaire, structuré en différents étages, atteint un chiffre d affaires de 896 millions d euros en France en 2003. Les animaux de rente sont les utilisateurs majoritaires de médicament. Les étages structurant le marché correspondent aux étapes de la vie du médicament : fabrication, distribution en gros, distribution au détail par les trois ayant droit). La Loi du 29 mai 1975 pose les bases réglementaires de la fabrication, de la prescription et de la distribution du médicament vétérinaire. Son application semble toutefois ne pas être totalement effective, notamment en ce qui concerne la distribution. La situation actuelle de la distribution du médicament vétérinaire en France pourrait être à l origine de risques de santé publique. Toutefois, la réglementation connaît depuis quelques années de profondes réformes ayant pour but de sécuriser l utilisation du médicamenrt vétérinaire, mais engendre des problèmes de disponibilité. Le vétérinaire praticien rural doit développer des outils pour répondre à la fois aux attentes réglementaires et professionnelles.TOULOUSE3-BU Santé-Centrale (315552105) / SudocTOULOUSE-EN Vétérinaire (315552301) / SudocSudocFranceF

Effectiveness of rural internships for veterinary students to combat veterinary workforce shortages in rural areas.

Veterinarians are a pivotal force in addressing animal health and welfare surveillance, with a critical role in improving public health security and increasing the profits of livestock farmers. Yet, the veterinary profession is adversely affected by personnel shortages, particularly in rural areas. Since the health of people, animals and their shared environment are interconnected in a One Health perspective, a set of policies are required to ensure public health by attraction and retention of veterinarians in rural areas. In France, a tutored internship programme, financially subsiding students and mentors to execute a training period in remote rural areas, was promoted to better integrate and retain veterinary students ending their veterinary training. This paper aims to evaluate how veterinarians' tutored internships influences students' choices for rural practice, using three different statistical methods derived from causal inference theory. Using survey data for the period 2016-2020, we show that: (i) the average effect of the tutored internship on veterinarians' work in food animal sector is not significant; and that (ii) the tutored internship leads veterinarians with a low share of work in the food animal sector to have a rural practise after they graduated between 13 and 20% greater than those who did not participate in the tutored internship

Energy and Environmental Policy Trends: Farms or Solar Farms?

As Alberta’s solar industry grows, so does concern about the land these installations might claim