A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 8, 2003
Council Of Farm Organizations Hosts Meeting, Discussion, Reception
(Continued from Page A2l)
versity of Pennsylvania, pres
ented “Our Food: How Safe and
Secure Is It?”
Although there is “absolutely
no question” that today’s food
supply in America is the safest
“the world has ever known,”
according to Aceto. “I have heard
of agriculture described as ‘the
soft underbelly of homeland secu
rity.’
“If we don’t supply a safe
product, that affects consumer
confidence” and eventually mar
ketability, she said.
“A country’s reputation in
terms of ability to export... is
very much dictated” by disease
reports and disease status, noted
Aceto.
She said that microbial con
tamination from various kinds of
bacteria is “far and away the
number one problem with food
contamination.” Second is natu
rally-occurring toxicants, and
third is environmental contami
nants.
Consequently, “as long as we
can code and clean our food
properly, we’ll all be fine,” she
said.
With the increased mobility of
not only humans but also prod
ucts, diseases pose a greater
threat of spread.
There are two million inter
cepted illegal products per year,
she said. It is “a miracle” that a
disease such as foot-and-mouth
has not entered the U.S. yet,
according to Aceto.
“Everyone in agriculture is on
the; ifront line,” in prevention,
protection, and response.
“Yoii are protertirigl3? percept
of the gfoss domestic product ” i
she said, pointing opt that
culture industry is America’s w
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gest employer, at 16.9 percent
employment.
“The potential of disease being
introduced onto a dairy farm is
very high” because of the amount
of animal movement on and off
the farm, and lack of manage
ment practices such as quarantin
ing animals.
Aceto also discussed the value
Dr. Helen Aceto, Ph.D.,
VMD, spoke about the safe
ty of America’s food supply.
si
!|p^%
of Geographic Information Sys
tems (GIS) the integration of
digital maps for agriculture.
Digital maps can simulate dis
ease spread, such as an avian in
fluenza outbreak.
“There are some powerful
things we can do with modeling,”
she said, noting that maps could,
for example, help with strategic
vaccination.
Laura England, director of
communications for Mid-Atlantic
Dairy Association, updated the
council on four dairy promotion
organizations that cover Pennsyl
vania. Two years ago the groups
began a campaign to maintain
and grow consumer confidence in
dairy products, according to Eng
land.
“We’ve been sharing what
we’ve learned and developed
with others (various agricultural
groups), because we realize that
we all need to work together,”
she said.
The effort included educating
mothers, leaders of the dairy in
dustry, and “newsmakers” such
as legislators and key industry
groups.
As part of the campaign, or
ganizers developed third-party
spokespeople and trained indus
try representatives in crisis pre
paredness and commu- __
nication. I --
A scientific advisory
panel, “a group of experts
that we can go to with
questions” or serve as
spokespeople has also been
developed,
England.
Tills year’s focus in
cludes issues crisis man-
'agement, media relations,
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Because of the work in the
media, “we have a great ability”
to counter negative media, which
has shown little impact on con
sumer behavior, because “they
still believe in dairy health bene
fits,” she said.
“If we do this for dairy, it can
translate into all of agriculture.
We’re certainly willing to help,”
she said.
“With our continued prepared
ness, we feel that we’re there,
we’re ready to step up” in the
face of a disease crisis, said Eng
land.
An industry Website,
www.dairyresponse.com, delivers
basic information about diseases
and provides suggestions on how
to speak about animal health and
dairy product safety.
Andy Zemba, executive assist
ant, officer erf water manage
ment, Department of Environ
mental Protection, was also a
panel member.
Chris Herr, Department of Ag
riculture, was also a panel mem
ber. Biosecurity, he said, is “an
issue we have been able to ad
dress in many different ways” by
enhancing programs already in
place and networking with such
federal organizations such as the
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Laura England, director
of communications for Mid-
Atlantic Dairy Association,
discussed “Managing
Dairy’s Image.”
INS and FBI
Pennsylvania, with its lab sys
tems, research projects, and net
worked contacts, is a leader in re
action to disease, according to
Herr.
“Blowing up buildings is a sce
nario we’re used to,” said Herr.
However bioterorism, he said, is
“a very serious issue that we will
continue to plan for.”
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