Multilateral risk management and proactionary policy formulation for bovine spongiform encephalopathy: A new framework

Abstract

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or commonly “mad cow disease,” is a zoonotic, neuropathological disorder classified among the prion diseases that, since its discovery and scientific characterization in the past few decades, has had profound implications on the food safety and security agenda for nations across the world. Unfortunately, the majority of regulatory trade policies and practices most countries have prescribed in response to managing this disease has largely been unilateral and reactionary rather than mutually cooperative, international, and proactionary. This situation afflicts tremendous economic and social costs on all interested parties, including the cattle industry and affiliated industries, consumers, governments on both local and national scales, and the medical and disease control communities. Much of the past policy has been dictated by reactionary trade sanctions against BSE affected nations, issued indefinitely and at the discretion of individual nations. This has resulted in the collapse of several national cattle export economies around the world that are, of late, only beginning to recuperate. Indeed, what is needed is a frameshift in BSE management to one based on international cooperation and mutual application and enforcement of common policies for disease surveillance and control. This paper describes the relevance of a multinational supply-chain regulation strategem applied to BSE management practices. Such a strategem may facilitate the dual goals of economic security and food safety without compromise to either.