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The politics of endemic diseases of cattle

The politics of endemic diseases of cattle. Some research approaches from political science. A very fortunate cow. Bovine TB: policy failure?. Extensive files in National Archives up to 1992 A very difficult issue for ministers and civil servants Referred up to prime minister

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The politics of endemic diseases of cattle

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  1. The politics of endemic diseases of cattle Some research approaches from political science

  2. A very fortunate cow

  3. Bovine TB: policy failure? • Extensive files in National Archives up to 1992 • A very difficult issue for ministers and civil servants • Referred up to prime minister • Ministers only saw damage to their political reputations – hostile media

  4. Some policy strategies • External reports, some of which caused even more trouble • Constructions of reality – the rogue badger • Folkington Bowl incident • Resort to stakeholder forums to reconcile divergent interests – inside tent

  5. Current situation • Reactor numbers increasing • Impacting on relationship between farmers and government and development of animal health strategy • Disagreement about evidence base • Policy experiment in Wales • Become a partisan issue

  6. The cultural politics of Brock

  7. Animal welfare issues • Mentioned as important unprompted at maximum by 2 per cent of voters, prompts can push up to 6-7 per cent • Well organised and funded stakeholder groups represent intensity of feeling • Willingness to resort to direct action • Highly emotional

  8. Political diseases model • Which diseases acquire political salience and why? • Varies over time and by country • Model in development and applied to endemic diseases of cattle in UK and Australia • Initial list produced by discussion within team

  9. Five groups of factors • Links with human health • Political factors (5) • Management factors (6) • International effects (3)

  10. Political factors • Level of public/media awareness of disease • Position of key industry stakeholder groups • Position of animal welfare groups • Does controlling the disease involve an animal living in the wild? (NB: ferals) • International animal health reputation

  11. UK-Australia differentiators • Importance of agricultural trade • Pride in Australia’s reputation • Policy innovation – biosecurity • Historic experience of exotic incursions • Awareness of fragility of ecology • Much of this relates to exotics

  12. Bovine Johnes’ disease • Quite extensive programmes in Australia • Inter-state tensions • Concerns about trade impacts • But above all concern about the reported but unproven association between BJD and Crohn’s disease

  13. More work to be done • Weighting of factors, but zoonosis status is important • Running model against different diseases to make comparisons and also between UK and Australia • Further work on stakeholder groups and policy, role of state vets • Thanks to Defra Animal Welfare Team

  14. Some questions • Is there a useful political science contribution to the study of endemic diseases of cattle? • Why are some diseases more politically salient than others? • http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/gld • http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/staff/grant

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