ILRI warns of livestock epidemics
11/02/2011
The problem is particularly acute in developing countries, where livestock diseases present a growing threat to food security, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has said.
Speaking at the conference in New Delhi, ILRI deputy director general, John McDermott, said: “Wealthy countries are effectively dealing with livestock diseases, but in Africa and Asia, the capacity of veterinary services to track and control outbreaks is lagging dangerously behind livestock intensification. This lack of capacity is particularly dangerous because many poor people in the world still rely on farm animals to feed their families, while rising demand for meat, milk and eggs among urban consumers in the developing world is fueling a rapid intensification of livestock production.”
Livestock diseases imperil food security in the developing world (where some 700 million people keep farm animals and up to 40% of household income depends on them) by reducing the availability of a critical source of protein.
The Kenya-based ILRI has warned of a dangerous disconnect: the agricultural intensification now being pursued in the developing world, it says, is typically focused on increasing food production and profitability, while potential effects on human health remain “largely ignored”.
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