After BSE: A Future for the European Livestock Sector

Europe faced a major crisis over the BSE phenomenon. In addition to affecting cattle breeders and beef producers, the BSE crisis involved many other sectors of society. These include the associated activities of animal health, meat processing, the leather industry, the wholesale and retail sale of beef, national and international trade, movement control of farm animals and, last but not least, the perceived new threat to human health by CJD with all its complex interactions between science, medicine, politics and legislation. This crisis also had other effects such as declining public confidence in science, a lack of trust in official and less official supervision of issues affecting human health, broken farm businesses and a growing cost to governments and to the EU. EAAP prepared a comprehensive report on BSE which drew upon the deep strengths of the Association in the livestock sector in all its components. The aim of the report was not to defend the sectional interests of animal production, rather to enlighten all sectors of society who have to make decisions on this difficult topic and to make preparations for other emergencies in the future. Therefore the composition of the group established by EAAP to produce the report included, along with livestock scientists, distinguished experts from other sectors such as consumer concerns, trade, economics and health. The outcome is an objective and forward-looking report that seeks to provide new perspectives and some options for the future, based upon a full understanding of the past. The report is not intended to document the causes of BSE or to gainsay the scientific information already published by recognized and authoritative bodies dealing with animal health issues. It proposes a view of the needs of the livestock sector of tommorow: animal health monitoring; animal products risk assessment and better animal agriculture management; food security; consumer's awareness of food quality; professional ethics in the livestock sector; and animal welfare.