SAC Rural Policy Centre

The nation’s health may be improving but more needs to be done. Rural Scotland has a role to play in improving our diet and promoting wellbeing through enjoyment of the environment. A healthy Scotland does not mean looking after only human health and wellbeing but also protecting the health and quality of our livestock, fish and crops.

Q1: How can rural Scotland help improve people’s health?

A: Although we are already recognised for our excellent food and drink products, efforts to increase food safety, nutrition and the quality of food products can play a major part in improving people’s health. Our world-renowned rural environment can bring huge health benefits through outdoor physical exercise and the social benefits of increased individual confidence and group interaction.

Q2: What are the benefits of improved animal and plant health?

A: Farmers are central to controlling human infections carried by farm animals, like E.coli O157. Improved animal health not only benefits the animals’ welfare but can also increase farm efficiency and help meet national targets for reducing GHG emissions. Plant diseases threaten Scottish food production by reducing crop yields and affecting quality. Toxins produced by fungi (mycotoxins) can colonise crops, impacting on the health and wellbeing of people and animals. Understanding and controlling plant, animal and fish diseases improves the safety, profitability and reputation of Scottish agricultural outputs.

Q3: What is the disease threat?

A: Many animal diseases are already present in our livestock and have to be controlled. New disease threats in both animals and crops continue to appear as a consequence of factors including changes in cropping, the relocation of livestock and climate change.

Q4: How do we discover new threats?

A: The Scottish Government surveillance function run by SAC works with farmers, vets and others to spot new conditions and diseases of both livestock and crops. Monitoring is essential to detect new threats and provides an early warning system. By managing threats, we can minimise the use of pesticides and other chemical control measures. Disease surveillance intelligence is at the heart of good crop and livestock management systems.

Q5: How do we make better welfare work?

A: Given that animal welfare is a key interest and concern to society we must maintain our scientific understanding of welfare and support sustainable improvements to ensure the highest standards of livestock welfare are achieved. There remains scope to improve animal welfare on farms, especially in the face of climate change and food security issues. Such improvements can bring advantages to businesses, supply chains and our livestock.

Further information

• Rural Policy Centre Research Briefing on Health and wellbeing and landscapes
• Rural Policy Centre Research Briefing on Fish disease surveillance
• Rural Policy Centre Research Briefing on Improving piglet survival
• Scottish Government website – Food & Health
• SAC Animal Health Research Group
• SAC Crop Clinic
• knowledgescotland briefing: Future disease threats to food crops - are we prepared?
• SAC Veterinary Surveillance Services
• SAC – Animal Welfare

10 Key Facts About Health & Wellbeing

1. The health of two-thirds of the Scottish adult population is now at risk from physical inactivity, making it the most common risk factor for coronary heart disease in Scotland today.
2. The potentially fatal E-coli 0157 causes approximately 1,000 human cases of intestinal disease a year in the UK.
3. The control of disease is critical to improved animal health and is a cornerstone of good animal welfare.
4. Johne’s disease - a chronic infection in cattle, reduces farm incomes, raises milk prices, damages the environment, compromises animal welfare and may affect food quality and safety.
5. SAC research shows the Scottish Government’s initiative to eradicate BVD (bovine viral diarrhoea) could save consumers £11million through reduced milk prices. Dairy farmers will gain £37million as the extra milk they sell and lower production costs will more than offset the lower milk prices.
6. SAC-led researchers recommended a strategy which prevented bluetongue virus from infecting Scottish livestock. An outbreak of bluetongue could have cost £100 million per annum.
7. We have important legal responsibilities to improve the welfare of animals as feeling, sentient beings.
8. Animal breeding has an important impact on animal health, welfare and production and environmental footprint. Recent advances in breeding save the UK dairy, beef and sheep sectors £15 million, £6 million and £5 million per annum respectively.
9. Pests and diseases can cause a potential loss of 20% yield in cereals. Ramularia leaf spot, a recent disease of barley, can cause an additional yield loss of 6% valued at £10 million.
10. The monitoring and surveillance of crop pests and disease has identified 28 unusual outbreaks over the last decade. This can only increase with climate change.

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