Farmers experience tension between wildlife conservation and food safety risk management
In an effort to ensure food is free from harmful pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses, food safety regulations have become increasingly stringent, especially for fresh produce. A recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems identified that large-scale food safety reforms are causing tension for farmers who believe that while many required practices may indeed reduce food safety risks, they can also reduce environmental sustainability, particularly when wildlife populations are constrained.
Federal and buyer regulations can imply that farmers should reduce wildlife intrusion on the farm to reduce the risk of wildlife spreading harmful pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. This often results in practices that prevent wildlife from entering the farm, such as fencing or practices that eliminate wildlife if they do enter the farm. Currently there is no scientific evidence that suggests wildlife on the farm increases the risk of food safety. Instead, a growing body of science suggests the opposite—that more biodiversity reduces the occurrence of foodborne illness pathogens.
Many farmers recognize the benefits that wildlife can provide such as natural pest control and overall ecosystem balance, and report feeling tension between excluding wildlife for food safety regulations and allowing important natural processes to occur on the farm. Practices that reduce wildlife are also in direct conflict with National Organic Program requirements for organic certification as farmers must to support and increase biodiversity for compliance.
This study synthesized three socio-ecological studies with extensive interviews of farmers in the “salad bowl” region of California, where farmers are subject to some of the most stringent food safety regulations. The take-home message from these interviews is that food safety regulations can cause direct conflict between environmental values and risk mitigation. The authors recommend that regulations be revisited and reformed to change the focus from individual grower compliance to a more “integrated perspective on regional risk, vulnerability and resilience to risks from human foodborne pathogens.
Wanasayansi wanaamini kuwa usalama wa chakula ni muhimu kwa ajili ya afya ya binadamu na kwa ajili ya usalama wa wanyama, kwa hivyo, kwa kuwa chakula kinaweza kuambukizwa na vimelea, sheria za usalama wa chakula zimekuwa ngumu zaidi na zaidi, hasa kwa ajili ya bidhaa safi. "Utafiti wa hivi karibuni uliochapishwa katika jarida la Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems uligundua kuwa marekebisho makubwa ya usalama wa chakula yanasababisha mvutano kwa wakulima ambao wanaamini kwamba wakati mazoea mengi yanayohitajika yanaweza kupunguza hatari za usalama wa chakula, yanaweza pia kupunguza uendelevu wa mazingira, haswa wakati idadi ya wanyama wa porini inapopunguzwa. """ Sheria za serikali za Marekani na sheria za nchi zinazohusika zinaonyesha kuwa wakulima wanapaswa kupunguza maambukizi ya wanyama wa porini katika shamba ili kupunguza hatari ya wanyama wa porini kueneza vimelea kama vile E. coli, Salmonella na Listeria. Hii mara nyingi husababisha mazoea ambayo huzuia wanyama wa porini kuingia shamba, kama vile uzio au mazoea ambayo huondoa wanyama wa porini ikiwa wanaingia shamba. Kwa sasa hakuna ushahidi wa kisayansi unaoonyesha kwamba wanyama wa porini katika shamba huongeza hatari ya usalama wa chakula. Badala yake, idadi inayoongezeka ya sayansi inaonyesha kinyume chake - kwamba utofauti zaidi wa kibiolojia hupunguza kutokea kwa vimelea vinavyosababisha magonjwa yanayopitishwa na chakula. Wakulima wengi wanatambua faida ambazo wanyama wa porini wanaweza kutoa kama vile udhibiti wa wadudu wa asili na usawa wa jumla wa ikolojia, na wanaripoti hisia ya mvutano kati ya kuondoa wanyama wa porini kwa kanuni za usalama wa chakula na kuruhusu michakato muhimu ya asili kutokea kwenye shamba. Mazoea ambayo hupunguza wanyama wa porini pia yanapingana moja kwa moja na mahitaji ya Programu ya Kitaifa ya Kiikolojia kwa vyeti vya kikaboni kwani wakulima lazima waunge mkono na kuongeza utofauti wa kibiolojia kwa kufuata. Utafiti huu ulijumuisha masomo matatu ya kijamii na ikolojia na mahojiano ya kina ya wakulima katika mkoa wa "salada" wa California, ambapo wakulima wanakabiliwa na baadhi ya kanuni kali zaidi za usalama wa chakula. Ujumbe wa nyumbani kutoka kwa mahojiano haya ni kwamba kanuni za usalama wa chakula zinaweza kusababisha mgogoro wa moja kwa moja kati ya maadili ya mazingira na kupunguza hatari. Waandishi wanapendekeza kwamba kanuni ziangaliwe tena na kurekebishwa ili kubadilisha mwelekeo kutoka kwa kufuata kwa mkulima mmoja hadi mtazamo wa <unk>mwenye ushirikiano zaidi juu ya hatari ya kikanda, udhaifu na upinzani kwa hatari kutoka kwa vimelea vya chakula vya binadamu.