The workshop objectives were to identify potential social and economic impacts of alternative Avian Influenza control programmes and suggest a role for FAO in contributing to social and economic evaluation. It also tried to identify topics for studies and strategic planning that require attention and funding by national governments and donors. Participants came from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam as well as the FAO headquarters and regional offices. Public sector (livestock services), private sector (industrial to small scale) and civil society were represented.

Approaches to control
AI is an emerging disease of animal origin. The need for a medium to long term view is recognised. Countries are taking a range of approaches to strategy - planned, opportunistic, or laissez faire. Elements of strategy can include: stamping out of outbreaks that occur; compensation / "support" / credit; surveillance / monitoring; import control; the use of vaccination; compartmentalisation.

Impacts
Social and economic impacts result from

• animal health concerns and measures

• human health concerns and measures

• loss of livelihood and structural change

Animal health measures affect

• costs of mortality, morbidity and production loss following infection
  - investigation, culling, compensation, training, vaccination
  - restocking, new biosecurity
  - cost of lost business/ trade

• institutional response and communication

• immediate vs. long term interventions/ solutions

• perceptions of farmers

Human health concerns seem to be driving many aspects of the response to Avian Influenza. Human health measures affect

• fatalities and the cost of their prevention

• poultry consumption and hence production

• perceptions regarding food safety and food security

• trade relations between trading nations

Livelihoods and structural change impacts could include the following:

• impact on livelihoods resulting from changed management systems to accommodate higher biosecurity

• community costs from e.g. rearrangement of markets

• organisation and costs of restocking

• new structure for the poultry sector with some former players excluded

• perception of personal insecurity/ uncertainty

• a change in availability of inexpensive and accessible animal protein