Mad Cow Disease

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the efficiency of the German governmental agencies and beef industry in estimating the risk of mad cow disease negatively affecting German consumers of beef during the years 2001 to 2004. The paper further discusses how the German governmental agencies and industry managers performed risk management strategies and policies through the selection and implementation of appropriate measures after the outbreak of mad cow disease in Germany in 2000 and until 2004. In addition, the paper looks at how the risk communication was conducted in relation to the true possibility that humans can contract Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD), a variant of BSE.

Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Perceived Risk Analysis
Rational Problem-Solving
Food Safety Regulation Reform
Research Risk and Assessment
Food Industry Supports Government
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The work of Grannis, Green and Bruch (2004) entitled: "Animal Health: The Potential Role for Livestock Disease Insurance" state that "animal disease can cause significant production losses and a reduction in livestock receipts." Grannis, Green and Bruch state that an opportunity development exists in assisting the management of livestock disease risks and one example is Germany. "Evidence from Germany demonstrates that both alternative value and consequential loss policies for livestock producers can be developed and can work in parallel with government indemnity programs. In Germany, indemnity payments are made based on predetermined and published payment schedules. These schedules are capped by maximum values that do not represent the value of superior commercial animals. Policies are available to insure the difference between the value indemnified according to the published government schedule and the value of the animal under regular, nondisease market conditions".

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ansell, Christopher and Vogel, David (2005) The Contested Governance of European Food Safety. Institute of Governmental Studies. University of California Berkeley. 2005. Paper WP 2005'38. Online available at: http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=igs. Assessed 08-14-2008.
• Batza, H.-J. The German System of Compensating Animal Keepers in Cases of Outbreaks of Animal Diseases, Paper Presented at the Livestock Insurance Products International Conference and Forum: Discovery of Ideas and Issues, November 2002, Fort Collins, CO.
• Experiences of Seven Countries in Consolidating Their Food Safety Systems (2005) U.S. Government Accountability Office. Report to Congressional Requesters. February 2005. Online available at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05212.pdf. Assessed 08-14-2008.
• Facts and Figures for the 2000 Financial Year. 2000. R+V - Info, Germany.
• Grannis, Jennifer L.; Green, John W.; and Bruch, Megan L. (2004) Animal Health: The Potential Role for Livestock Disease Insurance. Western Economics Forum Vol. III, Number 1. April 2004. Online available at: http://agecon.uwyo.edu/WAEA/WEForum/WEF-Vol.3-No.1-Spring2004.pdf. Assessed 08-14-2008.

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