Towards a New European Foot and Mouth Strategy - Press Release
Throughout the summer Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has continued to spread across the country despite the draconian measures which have been used to contain it. Slaughter and the fear of slaughter has destroyed and continues to threaten the livelihoods of farmers up and down the country.
In March, soon after the epidemic started to spread so rapidly, the Biodynamic Agricultural Association (BDAA), joined with other organic farming and environmental organisations in a call for a change in government policy and the immediate introduction of a programme of protective vaccination. Had this been implemented, the crisis would have been brought to an end within weeks and the rural economy spared months of heartache and economic ruin.
Unfortunately this was not to be and now six months later with the disease still rampant hardly a day goes by without new cases being confirmed. The approach of cooler autumn weather in which the virus thrives gives a very real possibility that the holocaust of the spring might be repeated.
"We cannot continue killing the patient in order to cure the disease" said Bernard Jarman of the Biodynamic Association "nor can we stand on the shores of Europe like King Canute and expect the virus tide to recede." A policy relying solely on eradication is doomed to failure.
Vaccination would have halted the spread of FMD and the paranoia associated with it. Without real understanding for the causes of the outbreak however, lasting solutions will not be found. "From Natures point of view the FMD virus exists for a reason and like 'flu becomes a major life threatening problem where there is constitutional weakness."
Because of this and the fact that the virus now appears to be endemic in this country it is vital that a fundamental reappraisal of the entire eradication policy takes place. Such a review needs to be part of the full and independent public enquiry into the handling of the FMD outbreak, which is being called for so urgently.
The Biodynamic Agricultural Association supported by its sister organisations across Europe, has put together a strategy for dealing with the disease which is in keeping with the new drive for a more sustainable European Agricultural Policy.
Drawing on a wide range of experiences made in different parts of the world, this strategy document emphasises the importance of breeding disease resistant livestock, developing low input self-sustaining farming systems and relying on natural home produced fertility. This together with a mixed, balanced and wholly naturally sourced diet leads to increasing disease resistance and immunity to prevalent diseases.
Further protection can be provided by using a range of natural and homeopathic preventatives, while in the event of a diagnosed infection, several homeopathic and other natural treatments have shown to be highly effective in countries where their use is not prohibited.
A unique remedy showed especially promising results during the 1920's. It was developed by an early pioneer of the biodynamic movement and involved using a carefully prepared coffee seed extract. Current policies forbade its further use however.
The document is intended as a contribution for opening up a wide-ranging debate on the subject and towards radically transforming European FMD policy.
It calls for research into these various treatments, for the abandonment of the current slaughter policy, the introduction of the option of voluntary vaccination and a safeguarding of the basic human rights of farmers to treat their animals according to their conscience. Above all however, it calls for new policies in support of sustainable, organic agriculture across the EU.
1st September 2001
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The full text of the Strategic Document is also available from
BDAA Office, Painswick Inn Project, Gloucester Street, Stroud, Glos. GL5 1QG (e-mail: bdaa@biodynamic.freeserve.co.uk
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