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