Struggling to improve farm biosecurity: Do free advice and subsidies hit the target?
Preventive Veterinary Medicine publish this investigation article
March 1st, 2023
Biosafety measures (BSMs) often aim at reducing the likelihood of cross-species interactions at the wildlife-livestock interface. Examples include means to segregate wild ungulates from cattle at waterholes or at feeders. Subsidies or incentives for BSM implementation are expected to contribute to improved BSM acceptance. However, several recent experiences led us to write a cautionary commentary on the variable success of incentives in farm biosafety promotion. We list examples where, after offering farm-specific biosecurity action plans for free or subsidizing 100% of the cost of a given BSM, 25-40% of the farmers remained unwilling to invest efforts in farm biosafety and BSM maintenance. We suggest seeking a better understanding of farmers` motivations through social science research, to train farm veterinarians on biosecurity and on how to tailor biosafety communication, and to set up formal regional risk mitigation programs including financial, logistical, and educational assistance, as well as monitoring plans, through public-private collaboration
Preite L., Barroso P., Romero B., Balseiro A. and Gortazar C.
 | Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio). Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC). Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Universidad de Castilla La Mancha (UCLM). Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM). |
| Department of Veterinary Sciences. University of Turin. | |
 | Servicio de Micobacterias (MYC). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
 | Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. |
 | Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). |
