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8 THE RURAL VOICE
Jeffrey Carter
BSE crisis reveals some good news
Jeffrey
Carter is a
freelance
journalist
based in
Dresden,
Ontario.
The impact of the BSE crisis on
Canada's family farmers is apparent
for anyone attending beef industry
meetings this summer. A dark cloud
hangs over the crowds. For some
families, the work of a lifetime now
hangs in the balance.
This reality needed to be stressed to
Dr. Wayne Roberts, an economist
and author of Real Food for a
Change. In a diatribe appearing
through the Toronto Food Policy
Council's e-mail distribution system,
Roberts wrote at length about the
"Mad Cow" crisis, tossing in a
reference to the "$460 million
bailout" for Canadian farmers.
I wrote Roberts, suggesting that he
visit some of the family farmers
being "bailed out." Setting the
ownership of certain meat processors
aside, the taxpayers' dollarsare being
spent appropriately.
Roberts did have a couple of
pertinent points. The reaction of the
Japanese government to Canada's
BSE problem goes back to Japan's
own traumatic experience with BSE,
he wrote.
In 2001, a single animal in Japan
was identified with the disease and
government in the island nation
quickly provided assurance that the
problem was isolated — the kind of
single case scenario currently being
described in Canada.
In the weeks, and months that
followed, however, several more
animals were identified with the
disease, the country's beef industry
collapsed, and one person died.
Given Canada's higher food safety
standards, as compared to standards
in Japan two years, Japanese fears
may not be justified. They are,
however, understandable.
Still, in Canada, the BSE outbreak
may well be confined to a single
animal. If that's the case, the ban on
Canadian exports is unjustified in its
scope and may well make the system
worse, not better. Consider, for
instance, the possible reaction of
meat inspectors, given the economic
and social turmoil currently faced by
Canadian farm families. Might
inspectors and others involved in the
Canadian beef industry be tempted to
leave some future food safety
problem unreported?
Enough of the negative.
While the difficulties facing beef
producers cannot be made light of,
there have been some positive
developments.
Steps have been taken to strengthen
Canada's food safety regulations.
This may seem burdensome in some
respects but ultimately it will provide
the industry with a competitive edge
on the international front.
More important, Canadians, as a
whole, have demonstrated a great
deal of confidence in Canadian
agriculture. Mike McMorris, general
manager of the Ontario Cattlemen's
Association says consumers haven't
been turning away from Canadian
beef. In fact, the opposite may be
true.
Consider, for instance, plans for a
nationwide beef barbecue being
pushed forward by the Kinsmen and
Kinette clubs of Canada.
There have even been positive
implications for the Canadian food
industry in general. For instance, in a
recent radio broadcast, CBC
commentators started out a segment
talking about overreaction to the BSE
problem and moved on to the subject
of cherries. Why, they wanted to
know, were only Washington cherries
displayed at their local supermarket
when Canadian cherries were
available?
The tide is beginning to turn for
Canadian agriculture. Canadians are
beginning to recognize the
importance of farming right across
the nation. That's an opportunity that
needs to be nurtured.°