Suchergebnisse

AbstractBiosecurity has gained significant interest in farm animal health in recent years. However, in dairy cattle farms, there is slight, or no implementation of biosecurity practices recommended by official authorities and techno‐scientific experts. This situation might be explained by the tension between old farming traditions and routines and veterinary recommendations. We draw upon Lefebvre's threefold model of space, which addresses spatial practices (old traditions and routines), representations of space (recommendations) and representational space (final implementation of biosecurity measures), constituting security ecologies to understand what might be happening by using an ethnographic approach on two farms in Galicia and two in Catalonia in Spain. The three biosecurity practices considered are management of dead animals, control of vectors and pests, and animal management. The results show that farms have different specific contexts, and that the reasons behind the positions of farmers and veterinarians, effective communication and common sense need to be considered. Security ecologies based on Lefebvre's model could therefore be a positive mechanism for ensuring the implementation of biosecurity, beyond the visions of authorities or specialists.

This study was carried out in two regions in Spain (Catalonia and Galicia) through eight focus groups; four for dairy farmers and four for veterinarians. The results showed that dairy farmers and veterinarians attributed responsibility to one another for not following biosecurity practices. The study brings to light contradictions among veterinarians and certain individual veterinary practices that participated in the study, which lead to doubt and confusion on the part of dairy farmers. Distinct perceptions were also identified of the role that government authorities should play in relation both to training and sanctions as a means of improving biosecurity on dairy farms. Additionally, the participants expressed varying opinions as to whether biosecurity measures ought to be made mandatory or remain voluntary. Results from this study highlight the need to promote initiatives through which distinct stakeholders such as veterinarians, government authorities, and dairy farmers can develop consensus-based messages on the implementation of biosecurity practices. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion