Veterinary Science, Transboundary Animal Diseases and Markets:
the case of foot-and-mouth disease in southern Africa

Challenging questions for policy

How can southern Africa benefit from the global ‘livestock revolution’? What options exist for trade given changes in market demand, entry requirements and trade preferences? What veterinary and food safety standards are required for different trade options? What does this imply for disease control and management of transboundary diseases such as foot and mouth? Who are the winners and losers of different scenarios for the future?

These are just some of the questions that policymakers in southern Africa – and beyond – are dealing with. There are no easy answers. The beef industry in the region has been a stalwart of economic development, but do the new conditions of trade and market access and disease dynamics, particularly of foot and mouth disease, suggest new options must be sought? Policy briefings

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Pretoria workshop, 7-8 April 2008

This international event explored and took forward policy options
Presentations, policy briefings in English and French, videos, workshop highlights, photos, media coverage and more

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The project

Supported by the Livestock for Life programme of the Wellcome Trust, this project has been debating these questions, and exploring alternative scenarios for four country settings: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, as well as the wider southern African region. IDS Project page

Over the past 18 months – through a combination of detailed research and a series of stakeholder-led dialogues – the research teams have explored different scenarios for tackling the challenge of foot and mouth disease, relating each to different market access and trade options.

The core question has been: what option, or combination of options, makes most sense, given the current context? Different criteria are evident, with often clear trade offs. The studies asked: which option results in the greatest returns? Which provides benefits to the broadest group of people? And which will be, in the longer term, the most sustainable?

Disease control scenarios have included:

• Zonation and area based disease freedom strategies
• Accepting and managing endemic foot and mouth disease
• Compartmentalisation
• Commodity based trade options

Market access and trade options have included:

• Securing EU export trade, including via private wholesaler/retailers
• Looking east – marketing to Asia and the Middle East
• Regional markets in Africa
• Enhancing the value of domestic markets

Different scenarios have been explored, and discussed intensely with different stakeholder groups. The results of these engagements will be shared and debated further at the workshop in order to explore ways forward for the future, and identify the key shifts in the policy environment required.

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Backgrounder

Fast changing contexts, major uncertainties: rethinking transboundary disease control and market access in southern Africa

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Research partners

Project co-ordinators

Ian Scoones, IDS, UK and Will Wolmer (independent)

Botswana

Neo Mapitse, Department of Animal Health and Production

Namibia

Alec Bishi, Department of Veterinary Services

South Africa

Rebone Moerane, Department of Agriculture, Northern Cape

Zimbabwe

Ronny Sibanda, Ingwe Breweries, formerly Cold Storage Company

Technical Adviser

Gavin Thomson, SADC-EU FMD project, Botswana/TAD Scientific, South Africa

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Publications

SADC region

Scoones, I. and Wolmer, W (2008) ‘Foot-and-mouth disease and market access: challenges for the beef industry in southern Africa’ (pdf 466kb)Transboundary animal disease and market access: future options for the beef industry in southern Africa, Working Paper 1, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.

Thomson, G. (2008) ‘A short overview of regional positions on foot-and-mouth disease control in southern Africa’(pdf 232kb) Transboundary animal disease and market access: future options for the beef industry in southern Africa, Working Paper 2, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.

Botswana

Mapitse, N. (2008) ‘Botswana’s foot-and-mouth disease and beef trade policy’ (pdf 585kb)Transboundary animal disease and market access: future options for the beef industry in southern Africa, Working Paper 3, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.

Namibia

Bishi, A. and Kamwi, J. A. (2008) ‘Veterinary science, transboundary animal diseases and markets: pathways for policy in Namibia’ (pdf 691kb)Transboundary animal disease and market access: future options for the beef industry in southern Africa, Working Paper 4, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.

South Africa

Moerane, R. (2008) ‘Market access for livestock commodities: foot-and-mouth disease as a key constraint to market access – Republic of South Africa’ (pdf 574kb)Transboundary animal disease and market access: future options for the beef industry in southern Africa, Working Paper 5, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.

Zimbabwe

Sibanda, R. (2008) ‘Market access policy options for FMD-challenged Zimbabwe: a rethink’ (pdf 712kb)Transboundary animal disease and market access: future options for the beef industry in southern Africa, Working Paper 6, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.

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Policy briefings / Briefings Politique

SADC region
Challenges for the beef industry in southern Africa (pdf 786kb)

BRIEFING POLITIQUE: Les défis de l’industrie bovine en Afrique australe (pdf 803kb)

 

Workshop Highlights
The future of beef marketing in southern Africa (pdf 787kb)

SYNTHÈSE DE L’ATELIER:Maladies animales transfrontalières et accès aux marchés : l’avenir du secteur du boeuf en Afrique australe

South Africa
Market access for livestock commodities: foot-and-mouth disease as a key constraint to market access - Republic of South Africa (pdf 782kb)

Zimbabwe

Market access policy options for FMD-challenges Zimbabwe (pdf 783kb)

Namibia

Veterinary science, transboundary animal diseases and markets: pathways for policy in Namibia (pdf 782kb)

Botswana
Botswana's foot-and-mouth disease and beef trade policy (pdf 779kb)

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Further reading

• The growing demand for livestock: Will policy and institutional changes benefit poor people? id21 Insights, issue #72. Feb08

• The wider debate about changing livestock policies, markets and responses to transboundary diseases is introduced in this IDS Working Paper 269, Livestock, Disease, Trade and Markets: Policy Choices for the Livestock Sector in Africa by Ian Scoones and William Wolmer
• An historical case study of foot-and-mouth disease control in Zimbabwe is explored the paper, Land, Landscapes and Disease: the case of foot and mouth in southern Zimbabwe (pdf 188kb)

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