Unregulated Livestock Production Prompts Health Concerns in East and Southeast Asia: FAO
Jakarta. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, said rising demand on meat and other animal products is posing serious threats to human health as many producers cut corners to boost production without proper regulations.
In the last 50 years, consumption of meat products has skyrocketed in East Asia, from 8.7 kilogram per capita in the mid-1960s to 50 in 2015, an increase of more than 500 percent.
FAO predicted the trend is set to continue with a further 15 percent increase by the middle of this century.
However, regulators have failed to keep up with the rising demand to protect both human and livestock. Many unregulated producers race to meet the demand, often ignoring the possibility of disease and contamination.
"The demand for more meat products is driving an industry to have those products ready for purchase in the markets but there are risks associated with this," FAO chief veterinary officer Juan Lubroth said on Monday (06/02).
The under-regulated and unmonitored procedures will pose threats of new diseases for human and animals.
"Much of the growth in livestock for human consumption has been unregulated so the systems in place to ensure food safety and consumer confidence, the protection of human and animal health, and prevention of existing trans-boundary diseases and newly emerging ones, have not been well addressed," Lubroth said.
"This weakness in the system has its consequences that manifest themselves in the spread of new and existing diseases," he added.
With more than 70 percent of all transmittable human diseases contracted from animals, FAO sees possible health threats of newly emerging pathogens that can spread between animals and people.
Lubroth called on governments, farmers and retailers to take action in improving levels of disease prevention and response.
"What’s really needed is for health and agriculture authorities to work more closely together on both human and animal health in a holistic way to address the gaps that allow these diseases to spread. That will take determination and resources, but it’s in everyone’s best interests," Lubroth said.
In the Asia-Pacific region, FAO has operated its Emergency Centre for Trans-boundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) to prevent the spread of new and old diseases and mitigate risks.
FAO also tied with the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in a move to advocate so-called One Health approach which takes holistic approach to benefit humans, animals and the environment.
The three agencies recently launched a region-wide campaign to raise awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which studied the ill-effects seen in both humans and animals due to the misuse and abuse of antibiotics.
Tags: Keywords: