“Our UK poultry meat sector set up detailed surveillance of antibiotic use five years ago and through this has been able to replace, reduce and refine antibiotic use and pass on its learnings to other sectors.
Mr FitzGerald said that RUMA was also pleased to see recognition of the importance of surveillance. So we must look at how we develop the right goals for our sectors.” “It should be remembered that the Danish government invested heavily to allow its pig farmers to build new high-health premises and in reducing its antibiotic usage by nearly 60%, the Netherlands is now at approximately the same level of use as the UK. He added that the UK focus was especially important as while there were important lessons to learn from other countries’ experiences in reducing antibiotic use, direct comparisons were never simple. “So we are delighted to announce the setting up of this task force which will harness the expertise of specialists across different sectors and work proactively with the authorities to look at identifying effective, evidence-based goals that work for our UK livestock sectors and protect animal welfare.” The industry has long recognised the beneficial role targets can play, but is acutely aware that inappropriate targets can also be counterproductive and even lead to increased risk of resistance. John FitzGerald, RUMA’s secretary general, said: “We also understand the report’s ambition to develop long-term targets.
RUMA, which works independently with organisations involved in all stages of the animal food chain from ‘farm to fork’, supports the report’s main findings 1, saying the battle to maintain the efficacy of antibiotics requires global focus combined with local action across both human and animal medicine. The amendment calling on the EC to suspend import of horse meat from “ countries where applicable EU requirements relating to traceability and animal welfare are not complied with” was also adopted.In response to the O’Neill Review on Antimicrobial Resistance final report, published today (), the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance has announced it is setting up a ‘task force’ to look at how meaningful targets can be developed to replace, reduce and refine antibiotic use in UK agriculture. The amendment also calls on the Commission and Member States to stop the import and domestic production of Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG), which is extracted from the blood of pregnant horses that are systematically impregnated and exposed to blood collections, involving health- and welfare issues. On animal experiments, an amendment reminding that structural animal experiments that are not indispensable should have no place in the food chain, as the Animal Experimentation Directive (2010/63/EU) prescribes the replacement and reduction of the use of animals in procedures. With the ongoing review of animal welfare standards and the growing calls by countries like France to see more production standards applied to imports (a concept they call “mirror measures”), there has never been such an opportunity to extend the scope of EU measures, and by doing so, to use the leverage that access to the EU market represent to incentivise foreign producers to improve animal welfare standards. On trade, a very clear amendment calling for EU animal welfare standards to be imposed on imported products. On the contrary, insect farming is a false solution, given its potential to prompt more intensive farming instead of promoting the much needed systemic change.īesides the compromise amendments, the AGRI and ENVI committees also adopted favourable amendments concerning trade, animal experiments and PMSG production, specifically: Moreover, insects are not a sustainable solution for the EU's food system transformation. Eurogroup for Animals believes that insect farming should not be promoted as an alternative protein source for animal feed or direct consumption due to serious animal welfare and sustainability concerns. The committees also supported the consumption of algae for a dietary shift, which is welcomed, but at the same time the one of insects. Nevertheless, parts of some compromise amendments would have needed to be altered, such as the one stating that the support of affordable food should not lead to cheap animal products that prompt intensive farming. Thanks to the 48 compromise amendments passed, the Farm to Fork own initiative report is now closer to leading a systemic change and higher EU animal welfare production.
0 kommentar(er)
