PIGS & PROSPERITY ▶▶▶
Crisis management W
ild fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes and epidemics: the recent years, or even months, have seen many of these. The scientific infor- mation on climate change shows that natural disasters may become more frequent and more intense, even in places where the risk used
to be low. In these emergency situations, the news often reports on the number of injured or affected people, but largely leaves the animals unmentioned. When humans are evacuated, for example when there is risk of a natural disaster, what happens with the farm animals, such as pigs, that might be in this region? Many countries have no clear action plan in place for how to deal with them, and the scale of modern pig farms does not easily allow for evacuation or alternative solutions to safeguard animals. Similar questions arise on what to do in case of unexpected water shortages due to droughts or heat waves, or electrical power outages. Whereas individual farmers may have an emergency management plan for poten- tial risks, such as barn fires, there is increasingly the need for broader coverage of emergencies. The recent problem with the inability to deliver pigs to slaughter- houses, because of slaughterhouse understaffing related to Covid-19 and because of Brexit, is one of the emergent crises that a large number of farmers have to deal with. Many questions need to be addressed. For example, how do insurance com- panies deal with the various losses arising from environmental and political crises? The consequences of no action or late action threaten the financial security of the farm as well as animal welfare. It is clear that we can no longer remain ignorant of potential crises nor think that these things only happen to others. What can you do yourself?
Steps to consider in mitigating potential risks: 1. Investigate the current local risks (e.g. fire, power outage, floods, transport issues) 2. What are potential future risks? (incorporate recent updates on local climate risks and potential threats related to both national and international situations and to risks that include political risks) 3. Analyse what can currently be done: what logistics are in place? 4. Write a basic emergency plan that is feasible within the current situation 5. Check with your insurance company where you stand in case of an emer- gency: what are your financial risks of having no action plan? 6. Assess what can be undertaken to improve the action plan at no or low cost (e.g. indicate emergency exits, have emergency phone num- bers clearly displayed, instruct employees on how to respond in case of emergency, etc.) 7. Investigate the possibility of more extensive action plans within both national and international farmer organisations and with local producers. Assess whether any funds can be applied for to mitigate the risks (e.g. establishing a mobile slaughterhouse or mobilising vehicles for emergency transport)
Hopefully, it will never be needed. 42 ▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 10, 2021
Irene Camerlink is an interdisciplinary research- er focusing on pig behaviour, welfare and production. She is attached to the Polish Academy of Sciences.
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