More reform ahead

Despite significant reform in recent years, more will be needed after the current funding package expires in 2013.
Challenges include the need to double world food production by 2050 to cater for population growth and wealthier consumers eating more meat – in the face of climate change impacts (loss of biodiversity, deteriorating soil and water quality).
When consulted about their views on such reforms in 2010, Europeans said they wanted EU farm policy to help farmers not just to produce food, but also to preserve natural resources and landscapes, improve animal welfare and keep rural communities viable, for example.
In response, the EU has published a set of reform proposals that reflect these demands, with an emphasis on sustainable farming practices, innovation, research and the spread of knowledge – as well as a fairer support system for European farmers that puts them in a position to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Why farm support is expensive

EU farm policy is the most integrated of all EU policies and so takes a large share of the EU budget. But this is largely money your government would be spending on farming anyway – it is just managed by the EU rather than national governments.
Nevertheless, farm spending has dropped sharply in recent years as a share of the EU budget, from a peak of nearly 70% in the 1970s to just 34% in 2007-13.
This reflects both an expansion of the EU's other responsibilities and cost savings from reforms – reforms that have enabled the EU to welcome 12 new member countries since 2004 without any increase in farm spending.

Competing more fairly

As the world's largest food importer and biggest market for food from developing countries, the EU has recently reformed its support systems so that farm export subsidies are now less likely to distort world markets.
And in the Doha Round of international trade talks, the EU has proposed eliminating export subsidies altogether by 2013, as well as significantly reducing import duties on farm produce.

Spending the money where it is most needed

Financial safety nets to support farmers are still in place, but are used much more selectively.
For example, they can be used to provide relief from one-off emergencies like natural disasters, outbreaks of animal disease (e.g. foot-and-mouth) or major market imbalances that could endanger whole sectors of the rural economy.
The EU does supplement farmers' income with direct support to help them make a decent living – but in return they must meet standards on farm hygiene/food safety, animal health and welfare, biodiversity and landscape protection.

50 years ago, the focus of EU farm policy was on providing enough food for a Europe emerging from a decade of war-induced shortages. This included subsidising production and supporting prices for farmers by buying up surpluses. But these methods are now a thing of the past.
Today, EU policy aims to enable producers of all forms of food – whether cereals, meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables or wine – to:

• produce sufficient quantities of safe, high-quality food for European consumers
• make a full contribution to diversified economic development in rural areas
• meet very high standards of environmental care and animal welfare.

With consumers becoming ever more quality-conscious about food, voluntary EU quality marks now help them make educated choices. These labels – indicating geographic origin, use of traditional ingredients or methods, including organic – also help make EU farm products competitive on world markets.
The various reforms of EU farm policy have also promoted innovation in farming and food processing – aided by EU research projects that have increased productivity and reduced environmental impacts, e.g. by using crop by-products and waste products to produce energy.

Spending the money where it is most needed

Financial safety nets to support farmers are still in place, but are used much more selectively.
For example, they can be used to provide relief from one-off emergencies like natural disasters, outbreaks of animal disease (e.g. foot-and-mouth) or major market imbalances that could endanger whole sectors of the rural economy.
The EU does supplement farmers' income with direct support to help them make a decent living – but in return they must meet standards on farm hygiene/food safety, animal health and welfare, biodiversity and landscape protection.

FAO “bat manual” aims to reduce disease risk, highlight benefits

The guide, "Investigating the Role of Bats in Emerging Zoonoses: Balancing Ecology, Conservation and Public Health Interest," is a hands-on reference to bat history, biology, monitoring, handling, and disease screening. The text is especially relevant as diseases transmitted by bats appear to be on the rise for various reasons.

Agricultural expansion and the use of natural resources are encroaching on bat-occupied territories, leading to increases in the interaction between bats, livestock and people. Understanding the changes that affect these populations is critical to addressing the risks, and limiting the exchange, of viruses between species.

The publication is designed for use by epidemiologists, wildlife officials, farmers, livestock veterinarians, zoologists, and any number of different professionals who might come into contact with bats. It was written by veterinarians, wildlife biologists, virologists, and disease experts, and includes field techniques for studying bats and infectious agents that do not cause disease in bats, but which can cause other animals or humans to become sick.

Natural allies in farm production

"Bats really are natural allies to the environment. They pollinate plants, spread seeds, and some species can devour about 25 percent of their body weight in insects. These benefits far outweigh their potential for transmitting disease. Yet, we cannot ignore the fact that development, demographics, and consumption of natural resources are bringing people, livestock and bats into closer and more frequent contact with one another. This increases the risk that bats can transmit potential pathogens and associated diseases to other animals and people," said Scott Newman, FAO wildlife veterinary epidemiologist, and co-author of the guide.

In the Philippines, the pollination provided by bats is crucial to maintaining ecosystems like the Subic Bay Forest Watershed Reserve. Government ministries responsible for Health, Agriculture and Wildlife have worked together to protect bat habitats while monitoring them to protect pigs and humans from disease spread.

Disease transmission
The bat manual is part of a broader effort by FAO and its partners to build awareness of the importance of wildlife to agriculture, ecosystems, and animal and human health.

In Malaysia and Bangladesh, fruit bats have been known to transmit Nipah virus, a previously unknown, contagious and deadly disease which was first recorded in pigs and humans in the 1990's. Disease studies showed that bats directly infected pigs in Malaysia, while in Bangladesh, humans picked up the virus primarily by ingesting date-palm sap that had been contaminated by bat excretions.

In Latin America, vampire bat-variant rabies causes a significant number of human deaths each year. In Southeast Asia and Africa, bats are being evaluated for the role they play in Ebola outbreaks.

Fruit bats from the order Pteropodidae are the animal reservoirs for Ebola, which can cause a deadly hemorrhagic disease in humans and other mammals.  Outbreaks of Ebola in human populations are relatively rare, but mortality rates can reach up to 90 percent.

"It's important to realize that, while bats may pose a risk to human health, in most cases, disease exposure from bats is usually a result of human activity. This means that we can study bats and learn healthier ways to share our farms, forests and communities with them," Newman added.

"The new guide supports countries in their efforts to improve management of bats' natural habitats while ensuring the health of humans, livestock and other wildlife species."

Balancing act
FAO's new manual looks at these concerns within a One Health approach. One Health is a framework that addresses zoonotic diseases by using a multi-disciplinary perspective to understand and monitor the connections between different species and their agro-ecological habitats, with the aim of protecting the health of all.

"FAO has started using the bat manual for capacity development in keeping with the One Health concept, specifically in the Field Epidemiology Training Programme for Veterinarians (FEPTV). We plan to distribute this manual to our member countries in Eurasia, Africa and the Americas," says Newman.

The new manual will also be used in regional disease-monitoring projects being implemented by FAO and partners in Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The projects will study how the interface between wildlife, livestock and humans can affect the spread of Henipah, Lyssa and Corona viruses - all pathogens capable of causing illness and death in domesticated animals and humans.

Investigating the Role of Bats in Emerging Zoonoses: Balancing Ecology, Conservation and Public Health Interest" was produced, in part, with financial support from the government of Australia, APHCA, and technical and in-kind support from various partners.

Purdue Agriculture

Purdue University has one of the best colleges of agriculture in the nation and the world. As a land-grant institution, we are committed to providing exceptional education for our students; discovering knowledge that stretches the frontiers of science and provides solutions to societal challenges; and, through Purdue Extension, helping the people of Indiana, the nation and the world improve their lives and livelihoods.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​