Foot And Mouth – Will The Lessons Be Learnt?

In this special report, details the essential facts about foot and mouth (FMD) and its implications. Written by Andrew Tyler with additional text by Mark Gold

The Disease and Its Transmission What is the impact on healthy animals? Scientist Sir Albert Howard carried out research in What is foot and mouth disease? 1920s India into what were later called organic The disease and it’s transmission is caused by systems of animal farming. Over many years he picornavirus, of which there are seven main types found that his own cattle never became ill with FMD already identified and various sub-strains. It is in the even though it was endemic and his animals literally nature of viruses to mutate so as to survive in the rubbed noses with diseased cattle. (Private Eye, environment in which they find themselves. Being a March 9, 2001) ‘moving target’ is just one reason why a vaccination policy is of dubious merit. Can people get sick from it? The official version is that this is ‘very rare’. The What illness does it cause? effects are flu-like, with some blisters. It depends on the species and the underlying health of the individual animal. Those raised in crowded How is FMD spread? factory conditions or otherwise neglected are By direct or indirect contact with infected animals. especially vulnerable to the severest symptoms. The virus can also become airborne. This has lead Fever is followed by the development of blisters, to some frankly incredible public statements about chiefly in the mouth or the feet. This can make animals contracting disease from virus that crossed eating impossible, with obvious consequences. oceans from foreign countries. There are reports of cows’ tongues being so severely damaged they fall out of their mouths. What about the closed countryside policy? We can’t have people wandering over the countryside I’ve heard that the very young are most and spreading the disease further, can we? www.animalaid.org.uk • tel: 01732 364546 www.animalaid.org.uk badly affected ‘The closure of all footpaths – even in woods and in Up to 80% of newborn lambs can die from the areas away from – has been exposed as disease – but then about 15-20% die within days of having no scientific justification,’ stated a report in birth at the best of times. The FMD lamb deaths are The Observer (March 25, 2001) ‘There has never probably because they can’t get proper feed from been a single example anywhere of a casual walker their mothers, who would also be sick from the not in contact with animals spreading the disease,’ disease, or because their mouths are too sore. the paper was told by Professor Alex Donaldson, head of the laboratories at the Institute of Animal What about pregnant animals? Health at Pirbright. During a recent outbreak in Tunisia, spontaneous abortion occurred in 80 % of ewes. In dairy cattle, Can culled animals, left rotting on farms prior there is also a high incidence of abortion, sterility, to disposal, spread the disease? chronic mastitis and lameness – again, all conditions The government says no, and yet it believes that that are already endemic in dairy herds. people walking on footpaths and in woods some factfile factfile www.animalaid.org.uk • tel: 01732 364546 China hadaround 20FMDcaseslastyear. ( But isn’t Chinaover-run withFMD? imports from countriessuchasChina. commercially convenientforsometoblamemeat is notpossible.Certainlyithasbeenpoliticallyand Pinning downtheprecise originofthe2001outbreak likely source ofthisparticularoutbreak? But whataboutinfectedforeign meatasthe recently-dead Britishanimalsare considered safe. animals isregarded asrisky, whilethebodiesof disease risk.Equally, foreign meatfrom long-dead distance from possibly-infectedanimalsrepresent a from hospitals, schools,hotelsandthelike.This press) are stillbeingfedswillcomprisingbinwaste Pigs onabout120UKfarms(atthetimeofgoingto How manyswillfarmsare there? the mediumofsheepdealersandmarkets. farms andthenbeencarriedaround thecountryvia from where itwassaidtohavewaftedneighbouring FMD wasthentracedbacktoHeddon-on-the-Wall Essex, where thefirstconfirmedcasewasfound. them forslaughtertoChealeMeatsabattoirin operation rapidlyfattenedandthendespatched produce more piglets.TheHeddon-on-the-Wall outto around the country–animalstooworn operation. Itsjobwastotakesowsfrom farms swill farm–byallaccountsafilthy, stinking‘hillbilly’ Much attentionhasfocussedonaNorthumberland What’s thepigswillstory? have originatedthrough thefeedingofpigswill. before being exportedto,say, Spain.Oritcould bartered through asuccessionofUKmarkets pelleted dietofundeterminedoriginandthen beef from Argentina,orliveBritishsheepfeda could justaseasilybeintensivelyreared, processed trade isregulated, agreat dealisn’t. Thesource both withinandbetweencountries.Someofthis the endlesscriss-crossing ofliveanddeadanimals, Meat anddairyproducts are aglobaltrade,involving the source? You can’t denythatforeign meatcouldbe Observer , April1,2001) The animals ofdifferent diseasestatusfrom alloverthe suffering, marketsbringtogetherlargenumbersof to befoundinlivestocksales.Asidefrom animal Bartered Lives See AnimalAid’s mostrecent marketsreport, called What’s yourobjectiontomarkets? who breed them. have diminishingpersonalattentionfrom those are raisedinincreasingly crowded conditionsand 1,000 sheeponafewlowlandacres, farmedanimals Whether 100,000chickensinasingleshedor breeding animals)fattenedintheleasttimepossible. to getthe‘slaughterstock’(asdistinctfrom the designed toextractmore milk,more offspring and by wayoffeedingandbreeding regimes thatare today increasing pressure onallfarmedanimals, that more animalsgotFMDmore rapidly. There is meatproductionoutbreak, systemsensured modern Whatever thespecificstartingpointof2001 What partdoesfactoryfarmingplay? farms andtothefeedingofpigmeatpigs. from thoseofFMD.Thesource wastracedtoswill whose symptomsare practicallyindistinguishable decimated byanoutbreak ofswinevesiculardisease, dangerous. Intheearly‘70s,Britishpigfarmswere There enoughthatitwasjustas were warnings less dangerous thanfeedingcattleto Presumably feedingpigtowasconsidered pigmeat, unlikepigsontheContinent. out anadvertclaimingthatBritishpigsweren’t fed be cannibals.What’s more, theindustryrecently put crisis wassupposedtobeneverforce animalsto Exactly so,eventhoughamainlessonoftheBSE Cannibalism? bacon. Inotherwords, pigmeatfedtopigs. human consumption.Includedare pork,hamand vegetable andfruitoriginthatare considered unfitfor Plate scrapingsandotherfoodstuffs ofanimal, What’s inthebins? that theserulesare flouted. but AnimalAidhasproduced evidenceillustrating mess issupposedtobeboiledat100cforonehour, . Thisdetailsthesqualorandcruelty factfile www.animalaid.org.uk • tel: 01732 364546 the lorries tothestunning area… andlotsmore. ground. We’ve seen animalsbeatenandkicked from from overheadshackles andthrashingonthe with bloodgushingfrom theirthroat wounds falling abattoirs.We’ve seenanimals, hallmark ofmodern chaos, incompetenceandcallousness thatare the No. AnimalAidhasseenforitself, manytimes,the and humane? At leastdeathinanabattoir isefficient destruction anddeathinanabattoir. themselves, there’s littletochoosebetweenon-farm and killingofanimalsformeat.Forthe We opposethecull,justaswefattening But doyouapprove ofthecull? animalfarming. modern and deaththatare theeverydayreality of merely thevisiblepartofsuffering, squalor shocked manypeople.Buttheseimagesare animals beingruthlesslykilledandtrashedhave Animal farmingisakillingbusiness.Scenesof Do youapprove ofthecull? The Cull in thehandsofthesemen. they are dealingwithwhentheyputtheiranimals Many farmthemselves.Sheepfarmersknowwho separate from therest ofthefarmingindustry. Theyare partofandnot live exportjourneys. animals through marketsandconsigningthemon There are about30majordealersinvolvedintrading What parthaveanimaldealersplayed? potential forspreading diseaseisobvious. abroad –liveexports.The marathon journeys million sheepand100,000pigsare thensenton market insearch ofafewextrapounds.Around a country. Manysheepare drivenfrom marketto because ofthedistress itcauses. in thesightoftheir fellows–apracticeprohibited in doors. Itisalso clearthatallspeciesare beingkilled they are beingdestroyed inshedsbehindclosed The unwitnessedsuffering ofpigs.Unlike thesheep, What elseabouttheculltroubles you? consciousness andbeingburied alive. real andhorrifyingprospect ofanimalsregaining sheep inadisusedCumbrianairstrip.There isthe in therapidburialofhundreds ofthousands relates tothearmy’sA particularconcern involvement they toleratenoinefficiencies What aboutthearmy’s involvement? Surely demonstrate thatthisisindeedhappening. failures instunning.Numerous reports from farmers even greater probability thatthere willbewidespread throat-cutting takesplace.Duringthecull,there is stunned andare therefore consciouswhen pens andboxes,animalsare frequently improperly Even inslaughterhouses,withtheirsystemsof So animalsare notbeingkilledoutright? shot withthecaptivebolt. FMD donothavetheirthroats cut–manyare merely actually killstheanimals.Animalskilledaspartof render animals insensible.Itisthroat-cutting that rather thanakillingdeviceandisusedinabattoirsto This fires aretractable metalbolt–itisastunning What’s captiveboltgun? victims are beingdrenched withdisinfectant. their fellows.Whilestillalive,according toreports, the and experiencingtheirownslowdeathspiledupwith with acaptiveboltgun,are recovering consciousness There is evidencethatsomeanimals,havingbeenshot The on-farmcullinghasbeenequallydepressing. Has thecullbeenmore humane? factfile www.animalaid.org.uk • tel: 01732 364546 small part oftheanimal suffering andhuman The generalpublic hasbeenforced towitnessa But whatare ordinary people supposedtodo? a stateofperpetualcrisis. mouth… theseoutbreaks signalthatfarming isin TB, campylobacter, BSE, swinefever, footand systems isnoaccident.Salmonella, Ecoli,bovine farming infectious diseaseflourishesin modern can neverbeasmileycottageindustry. That production. Producing meatfor60millionBritons is alogicalconsequenceofindustrialisedmeat It isthatthe‘pointless’andpainful-to-witnessculling What isyourmessage? sections ofthemedia. because ourmessageisindigestibletoimportant have mostlybeenrejected. Thisispresumably to takepartindebatesontelevisionandradiobut rational response tothecrisis.We havealsosought FMD andurgingpeopletogoveggie–theonly quantities ofliterature explainingthebackground to the country, duringwhichwe’vedistributedvast network ofsupporters,we’vestageddemosaround statements andLetterstoEditors.Through our groups – hassentoutaceaselessflowofpress Animal Aid–incommonwithotheranimalrights it’s soawful? Why haven’t youspokenoutagainstthiscullif be sevenoreightdays. being confirmedandtheactualkilling,Thiscould going un-fedbetweenthetimeoftheirdestruction slaughter, weworryaboutagreat manyanimals animals whetherornottheyare fedpriorto farmers get100%compensationfortheculled money around tofeedthemproperly. Giventhat sows, babycalves)andthere notbeingenough falling outofonemarketoranother(cullewes,spent farming press routinely hasstoriesaboutthebottom That isperhapsthemostworryingaspect.The waiting despatch? Are culledanimalsbeingfedproperly while slaughterhouses becauseofthedistress itcauses. in thesightoftheirfellows–apracticeprohibited in Itisalsoclearthatallspeciesare beingkilled doors. they are beingdestroyed inshedsbehindclosed The unwitnessedsuffering ofpigs.Unlikethesheep, What elseabouttheculltroubles you? simply tobeshotandburiedinlandfillsites. was abouttogivepermissionforover30monthcattle cause CJDinpeople.Bymid-April,thegovernment virtual indestructibilityofthediseaseagent,whichcan be incineratedathightemperature becauseofthe cattle over30months.Suchanimalspreviously hadto its BSE-related safety-firstrulesonthedisposalof intoabandoning air ofpanicevenledthegovernment burying somanysheepwillpollutethewatertable.The difficulties. Thereand learning that are alsoconcerns exposure canleadtocancers,genitalmalformations pyres waspumpinglethaldioxinsintotheair. Dioxin kerosene, creosote andred dieseltoignitetheburial from environmentalwarnings bodiesthattheuseof impact onplantandanimallife.There were early thousands oflitres ofdisinfectantwillalsohaveamajor threat togroundwater andtotheair. Theuseof deemed over)hasposedaseriouscontamination animals (probably millionsbythetimecrisisis hundreds ofthousands Burying andburning by thecullingpolicy? Are there raised any environmental concerns The FMDCullAndEnvironment slaughtered as a result oftheoutbreak, whether they Farmers havereceived ‘fullmarketvalue’foranimals be destroyed? animals theyreared formeat, butwhohadto But FMDhassurely meantno incomefrom than thatpaidtoallotherUKbusinesses combined. 2001, thetotalsubsidypaidto UKfarmersismore As Tony Blairtoldthe HouseofCommonsinMarch other industries? How doesthatcompare withpaymentsto public subsidies. which £890million(about44.5%)wasbywayof Their total1999incomewas£1,996million,of What aboutpaymentstocattlefarmers? vegetarians/vegans. British andEuropean taxpayers,including Who paysthesesubsidies? of subsidies. Around 40 percentofthis(£412million)consisted that sheepfarmers’totalincomewas£1007million. figurescircumstances. show In1999,government packages cattleandsheepfarmersgetundernormal payments, let’s considerthesubsidiesandotheraid And they’re gettingit.Before welookatFMD-related what aboutthefarmers?It’s theywhoneedhelp fortheanimalsisallverywell,but Concern Support ForFarmers sustainable wayforward. This isthelessonofFMD.Itonlycivilisedand reject eatinganimalsandadoptaplant-baseddiet. celebrate thatfact.To everybodyelsewesay:please have nowpledgedtochangeahumanediet.We conditioned toacceptasnormal.Agreat many closed doors.Peoplenowseewhattheyhavebeen incompetence thatisusuallyconcealedbehind factfile www.animalaid.org.uk • tel: 01732 364546 deliberately infectingtheir animalsfora bigger payout. Yes, whichiswhy somefarmershavebeen healthy animals? More moneyforsick ratherthan market price–and90%forhealthy animals. If theywere already infected,100%ofthegoing How much? killed where theystood. spread thedisease.Theyandtheirlambswere from fieldstoshedsincasetheycaughtandthen vetsdecided,couldn’t bemoved government pregnant, othersrecently lambed–who, These includecompensationforewes–some this work? slaughtered forwelfare reasons. Howdoes One ofthereported paymentsisforanimals starting pointfortheoutbreak. whose stinkingswilloperationisalsoidentifiedasa Bobby Waugh, theNorthumbrianhillbillypigfarmer overleaf). Anotherhappyrecipient (£50,000)was Agriculture ( over hisgoodfortuneandtoastingtheMinistryof reported tohave beendownhislocalpubgloating received a£1.3millionpayout.Cleavewas helped spread thediseaseintothatcounty, has whose widespread buyingandsellingofsheep Cleave, theDevonfarmerandliveexportsdealer to someofBritain’s wealthiestlandowners.’Willie more than £35million,withthelargestsumsgoing have received compensationpaymentstotalling cull payouts’.Itreported that'justover300farmers caught theflavour:‘Farmersinmoneyafter headline inthe The totalsaren’t knownaswegotopress buta How muchdoesthataddupto? £32 compensation. market hadcollapsed–were eachdrawing lamb. Evenspentewes–forwhomtheregular £1,100 andtheyhavebeengranted£60foreach contacts’. Paymentperdairycowisasmuch have beeninfectedorsimplyclassedas‘dangerous Mail onSunday Independent onSunday , April15)(seefullstory (April 8) 23; according tomediareports (e.g. worth ofsubsidiesforsheeptheydidn’t infactown, farmers claimedhundreds ofthousandspounds Under EUquotarules,animaldealersandsome Are farmers guiltyofotherscams? animals deliberatelymovedintoFMD‘hotspots’. under investigationbytheprosecuting authoritiesof FMD-type blisters.Andthere are numerous cases the feetoflivesheepintoboilingwaterproduce Newsnight also beenpersistentstories(reported onBBC even more quicklythanitisatpresent’. There have compensation’ available tobeef,sheep anddairy form ofa£167 million so-called‘agrimonetary inthe Additional help has comefrom government newspaper appeals andtheracingindustry. as PrinceCharles,theRoyalBank ofScotland, Off-the-cuff helphascomefrom sources asdivergent knock, particularlyintheearly stages oftheoutbreak. Livestock markets,hauliersand abattoirstooka within themeatsector? Surely, there havebeensomereal losses February.’ Quiteadifference! sheep were exportedormovedduringthemonthof understatement –thatprobably about1.35million said thePM,‘itisnowclearthatwasan sheep movementsbefore thediseasewasdetected, made totheHouse.Ratherthanthere being2,000 Blair inwhichhecorrected aprevious assertion March 28HouseofCommonsstatementbyTony improperly loggedsheepmovementscameina Yes, buttheyhaven’t been.Acluetothescaleof be traceable? Aren’t allthesemovementssupposedto down toDevon. spread from Cumbria,viatheWelsh borders an FMDhotspot.Inthisway, FMDissaidtohave were bought atLongtownmarketnearCarlisle– fraudster. Itisthoughtthatmanysuchanimals were then movedontothepremises ofthenext official head-count. Theseso-called‘blacksheep’ were ‘bussed’ around inorder tobeinplaceforthe Daily Mail programme) ofsomefarmersthrusting , April11).To covertheirbacks,sheep cause thediseasetospread that theseabuses‘could article wentontoacknowledge fair compensation...’The secure whattheybelieveis some producers are to demonstrates howdesperate said FW, ‘thepractice animal. ‘Althoughillegal,’ the ragontoanuninfected sheep’s mouthandthenrub wipe itoveradiseased method istotakearagand Weekly trade magazine, It wasreported intheirown their animals? deliberately infecting farmers havebeen How doyouknowsome (March 23).The Private Eye Farmers , March factfile www.animalaid.org.uk • tel: 01732 364546 compensation packagesforthissector. employs 2million.There hasbeennothinglikethe on theotherhandisworth£64billionannuallyand total that’s diminishedfrom 15%in1950.Tourism employs around 1%oftheworkingpopulation–a domestic product, valuedataround £2.3billion.It Farming represents just0.8%oftheUK’s gross support shouldbethere? farming totheBritisheconomy, thatthis But isn’t itonlyright,giventheimportanceof as wewenttopress. farmers. Atleast£20millionmore wasonthecards government, hasano-vaccination policy.government, This is and meatproducts. Europe, prompted bytheUK protect profits derived from theexportofliveanimals but byanattemptto driven notbywelfare concerns admitted byfarmers’leadersand DEFRA,was Early resistance tovaccination,ashas beenopenly so far? What’s your viewofthevaccinationdebate in FMDareas. it, ifitprevents thedestructionofsanctuaryanimals ends liveexports,wefavourit.We wouldalsofavour it provides nobenefitforthem.Butifvaccination slaughter ofanimalsdestinedforthefoodchain,so Vaccination willnotprevent thecrueltreatment and Do youfavourvaccinationforFMD? Vaccination and I had no concerns abouttheirwell-being’. and Ihadnoconcerns and thattheanimalswere ‘inverygoodcondition, on totellthecourtthatheknewaccusedwell one oftheSociety’s livestocklorries.Cleavewent away ponies, claimingownership–andheturned upandseizedeightcalvesfour Cleave turned inspectors were loadinganimalsontoawagon, The courtwastoldthat,justastheRSPCA Chickens andrabbitswere keptinoldoildrums. tethered sotightlytheycouldn'tmovetheirheads. darkness withnofoodorwater. Calveswere ofafield.Starvinglivestockwere keptin corner farm. Theskullsofpigsandsheepwere piledina Rotting cattlecarcasses layscattered around the ever prosecuted’. that itwas:'oneoftheworstcases[theyhad] a farminmy[18year]career.’ TheRSPCAsaid the mostdisgustingthatIhaveexperiencedon The vetonthescenesaid:‘Theconditionsare such appallingconditions.’ still hauntsme.Ihaveneverseenanimalskeptin Magistratescourt:‘WhatIfoundthatday Tiverton Farm inDevon.PoliceConstableMarkHoartold rabbits andguineapigsonYoung's Shallowford cruelty togoats,cattle,ponies,hens,dogs, guilty of34chargescausingunnecessary a neighbour, MauriceYoung, whowasfound recently stoodasacharacterwitnessincourtfor Cleave,Devonliveexportdealerandfarmer,Willie and malnutrition. year. They perishmostlyfrom exposure, disease die withindays of birth–that’s about4million a Even so,between 15and20percentofalllambs such aspulpykidney, black leganddysentery. given acocktailofeightvaccines againstconditions consider this:soonafterbirth, lambsare typically otherwise havediedbefore beingslaughtered. But vaccines mightkeepapercentage alive whowould It couldbearguedthatearlydeathisamercy. The prematurely isn’t thatagoodthing? But ifvaccineskeeptheseanimalsfrom dying or fouryears(thelargerbreeding animals). weeks (poultry)afewmonths(pigs,sheep)orthree are killedformeatafteralifespanofjustfew slaughtered. Bearinmindthatmostfarmedanimals prevent animalsfrom dyingbefore theycanbe and slaughtered. Themainaimofthedrugsisto which theseanimalsare bred, fattened,transported natural consequenceoftheoppressive systemsin suppress symptomsofvariousdiseasesthatare a drugs –vaccinesincludedwhosepurposeisto Farmed animalsare subjectedtoavastarrayof farmed animals? Doesn’t vaccinationworkforotherdiseasesin was inconclusive. them worse.Evidencewithregard tothefifthcase five ‘67outbreaks. Infact,itmayhavemade failed tohaltthespread ofthevirusinfourout March of thisyear, foundthatvaccineswouldhave suppressed undertheOfficial Secrets Actuntil five yearsafterthe1967Britishoutbreak, but The evidenceisconfused.Anofficial report written FMD vaccinationworks? But doesn’t thescientificevidenceprove that problems canbecaused. possibly more seriousandlonger-lasting health symptoms ofdiseasethrough vaccination,other, date, research indicates thatbysuppressing No. Notonlycansymptomsbreak outatalater do awaywiththeproblem? But ifsymptomsare suppressed, doesn’t that exported andcauseFMDtospread further. infected, thendiseasecarriersare likelytobe through bloodtestswhetherornotananimalis If symptomsare suppressed andyoucan’t establish Why isthataproblem? some timeinthefuture). (notwithstanding claimsthatthiswillbepossible animal won’t reveal whathisorherdiseasestatusis infection toothers.Abloodtestonavaccinated animal canbeinfectedandgoontotransmitthat the diseasesymptomseventhoughavaccinated The vaccinetendstohavetheeffect ofsuppressing What isthereason forthatrule? years from theendoflastoutbreak. there canbenoexportsforbetweenoneandtwo FMD outbreak andanimalsare thenvaccinated, rulessaythatifanycountryhasan international statements– because –according togovernment factfile www.animalaid.org.uk • tel: 01732 364546 into rivers, killingfishand ,and choking flash floodsbecome common.Topsoil iswashed Riverbeds are gouged deeper anddeeper;lethal vegetation, rain poursoff thehillseverfaster. sheep tramplingtheground andstripping backthe somanymorepart responsible forthisflooding.With (Nov 15,2000)thatsheepfarmers were themselves land useofficer inthenorth-east,told from whichtheyhadnoshelter. AnnSansom,arural as aresult oftherecent relentless rainandwind, Thousands ofanimalsdrowned inthefieldsordied wasteland ifsheepgofrom uplands? Sheep farmersare predicting aravaged rich andvariedenvironment forpeopleandwildlife. population, leavingmore opportunitytocreate a land wouldbeneededtofeedavegetarian animals whoweeventuallyeat.Therefore, farless consumption thanbyusinglandtogrow feedfor by growing nutritiouscrops fordirect human meat eating.You canproduce 3-10timesasmuch isfarmore foodefficient that would bedevastated? If everyonewentvegetariantheenvironment Vegetarianism AndTheEnvironment when wecouldbekind? cracked wheat,tofuorcous-cous).Sowhykill pasta); othersmaybelessfamiliar(chickpeas, part ofourstaplediet(suchasbread, riceand be usedinmanydifferent ways.Someare already vegetables andfruitisalmostendlesstheycan variety ofgrains,cereals, pulses,beans,nuts,seeds, are easilyobtainedfrom avegetariandiet.The carbohydrates, fats,minerals,vitaminsandfibre) All thenutrientsweneedforgoodhealth(protein, ‘But weneedmeat.It’s natural’ equally bloodyandbarbaricconditions. conditions, ‘healthyanimals’are slaughtered in on everydayinslaughterhouses.Undernormal on televisionnewsare nomore vilethanwhatgoes every day. Thescenesoffearanddeathnowshown thousands (millionsifyoucountpoultry)ofanimals that involvesthebrutaldeathsofhundreds of consider whethertheywanttobepartofanindustry There hasneverbeenabettertimeforindividualsto emergency onourhands.What’s youranswer? and itmightsuitsome–butwehavean Going onaboutvegetarianismisallverywell– The Vegetarian Option completely disappeared. impact ofthevaccinationprogramme has are dead,orwhenitisassumedthatthebiological we havebeentold,whenallvaccinatedanimals where vaccinesare inuse.Exportscanonlyresume, be achieved,according tomostcommentators, British animalsare FMD-free. Thisstatuscannot further afieldonlywhenitcanbedemonstratedthat products tootherEUcountriesor This meansthatBritaincansendanimalsandanimal required the introduction of‘alevelplayingfield’. The completionofthesingleEuropean market What isEuropean vaccinationpolicy? The Guardian organic) tosupplyfoodforourlocalcommunities. possible, bysupportinglocalgrowers (preferably help toswellthedemandforrationalfoodpolicies plant-based agriculture. Asindividualswecanall move awayfrom livestockproduction towards a books. Butthereal long-termchallengeisto markets shouldalsobeconsignedtothehistory farm tothenearest availableabattoir. Livestock be stoppedandanimalsshouldtraveldirectly from on long-distancetransportation.Liveexportsmust means abannotonlyonfactoryfarming,butalso infection anddisease.Prioritisinganimalwelfare outlawing thesystemsthatare creating wavesof In theshort-termwemustreform livestockproduction, lessonsfrom thisdreadfulWill welearn epidemic? After It’s Over sanctuary animals. network orpeoplesupportingthosewiththreatened office. Pleasedothesameifyouwishtojoin Aid’s websiteforlegaladvice.Orcontactthe destruction undertheFMDmeasures, seeAnimal If youhaverescued animalsthreatened with Help ForRescuedAnimals enough landavailabletoachievethis. . There wouldbemore than sanctuaries, free from thebetrayalof numbers ofanimalstobelookedafteronmanaged some landcouldbesetasideforreasonable areas ofuplandmaintainedbygrazinganimals, beneficial. Fortraditionalistswhowouldliketosee to radicalchanges,butoveralleffects shouldbe Eliminating livestockfrom thefoodchainwouldlead But wecan’t havehillswithoutanimals? Guardian Society water –floodsare followedbydroughts. ( percolate intoaquifers–acrucialsource ofdrinking waterunableto surface becomingsealed.With water soakingintotheground asaresult ofthe reservoirs. Overstockingofsheepalsoprevents by eatingonlyvegetarianfood,and,asfar , November15,2000). The