"They've got to be testing and doing something about it": farmer and veterinarian views on drivers for Johne’s disease control in dairy herds in England

Robinson, P. A. (2020) "They've got to be testing and doing something about it": farmer and veterinarian views on drivers for Johne’s disease control in dairy herds in England. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 182, 105094. (doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105094) (PMID:32688108)

Abstract

There needs to be an understanding of the reasons why key stakeholders engage in disease control efforts if disease is to be successfully and sustainably controlled. It is increasingly recognised within veterinary epidemiology and policy making in animal health that these ‘people factors’ are important influences on the success or otherwise of animal disease control programmes. Research methodologies adopted from the social sciences offer ways to understand this important dimension, through investigating the attitudes and opinions of the key actors involved. The study reported in this paper, based on qualitative interview research, investigates the views of dairy farmers and cattle veterinarians on the drivers and incentives for controlling Johne’s disease in English dairy herds. Twenty semi-structured interviews involving 17 dairy farmers and seven veterinarians were conducted in two dairy-intensive regions of England. The findings demonstrate the varied influences of veterinary advice and encouragement; appreciation of the economic cost of the disease at herd level; a voluntary national control plan; and fear of a future consumer food scare as the main reasons to engage in Johne’s disease control on dairy farms. The study demonstrates how a combination of a voluntary industry-led control scheme, compulsory participation through retailer and processor contractual requirements, and threats of reputational harm and market loss have strongly influenced farmer and veterinary behaviour in relation to Johne’s control without statutory involvement. The findings illustrate the importance of considering the political economy and societal impact of animal disease.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The research was conducted at Harper Adams University and was part-funded by the Perry Foundation, UK.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Robinson, Dr Philip
• Authors: Robinson, P. A.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0167-5877
• ISSN (Online): 1873-1716
• Published Online: 13 July 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
• First Published: First published in Preventive Veterinary Medicine 182: 105094
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy