Elicitation of expert knowledge on controlling Salmonella in the pork chain

Salmonella is one of the most important risks for food safety, and pork is one of the sources of human salmonellosis. A chain approach is essential to reduce Salmonella in pork products. A survey was carried out among Dutch and Danish experts in the field of Salmonella to evaluate the entire pork supply chain. The aims of the survey were to determine and rank possible management interventions (such as adjusted or new procedures, technical adjustments and control measures), and to estimate the details of the course of infection and contamination. An additional objective was to compare the opinions of experts from different countries and different backgrounds. The two stages in which it was expected that management interventions to improving food safety with respect to Salmonella in pork would be most effective were the the finishing stage (by preventing the spread of Salmonella within the farm) and the slaughtering stage (by preventing cross-contamination). The differences in the opinions of respondents from different backgrounds were mainly reflected by the relative importance they attached to the specific management interventions. For instance, the Danish respondents attached more importance to the purchase of Salmonella-free piglets in the finishing stage and to logistic slaughter. Respondents with a research background seemed to attach most importance to interventions that were also presented in recent literature, such as feeding non-heated grain to finishing pigs. For issues in which multiple stages of a supply chain are involved, a solid basic knowledge about the conditions per stage with respect to the issue is necessary

New approaches to food safety economics

Highlights and important insights from the presentations and discussions, concluded with the major research areas identified for future wor

A New Decision Support Framework for Managing Foot-and-mouth Disease Epidemics

Animal disease epidemics such as the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) pose recurrent threat to countries with intensive livestock production. Efficient FMD control is crucial in limiting the damage of FMD epidemics and securing food production. Decision making in FMD control involves a hierarchy of decisions made at strategic, tactical, and operational levels. These decisions are interdependent and have to be made under uncertainty about future development of the epidemic. Addressing this decision problem, this paper presents a new decision-support framework based on multi-level hierarchic Markov processes (MLHMP). The MLHMP model simultaneously optimizes decisions at strategic, tactical, and operational levels, using Bayesian forecasting methods to model uncertainty and learning about the epidemic. As illustrated by the example, the framework is especially useful in contingency planning for future FMD epidemic

Is prevention better than cure? An empirical investigation for the case of avian influenza

The new EU Animal Health Strategy suggests a shift in emphasis away from control towards prevention and surveillance activities for the management of threats to animal health. The optimal combination of these actions will differ among diseases and depend on largely unknown and uncertain costs and benefits. This paper reports an empirical investigation of this issue for the case of Avian Influenza. The results suggest that the optimal combination of actions will be dependent on the objective of the decision maker and that conflict exists between an optimal strategy which minimises costs to the government and one which maximises producer profits or minimises negative effects on human health. From the perspective of minimising the effects on human health, prevention appears preferable to cure but the case is less clear for other objectives

FEASIBILITY OF INCOME INSURANCE IN EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE

Liberalization of agricultural markets leads to new risks for European farmers. This paper studies the feasibility of income insurance schemes for European crop and livestock farmers. Different insurance topics, such as governmental reinsurance and the use of mutual insurance funds, are described and analyzed, using individual farm level data of different areas and commodities. In this paper it is argued that 'income' insurance in European agriculture should be restricted to yield-only insurance schemes that are organized per commodity and per region and in which governments play the role of 'lender of last resort.Income variability, income insurance, crop and livestock farming, Risk and Uncertainty,

Farm Sector Capital Structure Indicators in Estonia

Empirical tests are provided to determine the optimal leverage adjustment in transitional economy. Econometric model of agricultural firm capital structure is specified and estimated in order to analyze, how different factors affect agricultural firm's capital structure. Issues in financial structure, that under particular ownership type should be considered in responding to changes in the operating environment, are found. The evidence suggests that profit, income tax, depreciation have an influence on increase in financial leverage. Results indicate that increase in firm's profits may induce firms to increase financial risk through capital structure adjustments.Farm Management,

Is prevention better than cure? An empirical investigation for the case of Avian Influenza

The new EU Animal Health Strategy suggests a shift in emphasis away from control towards prevention and surveillance activities for the management of threats to animal health. The optimal combination of these actions will differ among diseases and depend on largely unknown and uncertain costs and benefits. This paper reports an empirical investigation of this issue for the case of Avian Influenza. The results suggest that the optimal combination of actions will be dependent on the objective of the decision maker and that conflict exists between an optimal strategy which minimises costs to the government and one which maximises producer profits or minimises negative effects on human health. From the perspective of minimising the effects on human health, prevention appears preferable to cure but the case is less clear for other objectives.avian influenza, prevention, control, Livestock Production/Industries,