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The International Poultry Council’s Avian Influenza Crisis Preparedness and Management Plan
6 Playsin 22 hours
Richard Griffiths, International Poultry Council president, shares details of the organization's new framework document.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast and Speakers
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Future of Poultry podcast series.
00:00:12
Speaker
Hello, I'm Mark Clements, Editor-in-Chief Poultry with WhatGlobalMedia. Earlier this year, the International Poultry Council, or IPC, released its Avian Influenza Crisis Preparedness and Management Plan, a global framework developed to support its members during Avian Influenza events. The plan offers IPC members across regions and production systems a common reference point and trusted communication The framework is not, however, one-size-fits-all approach and was developed to be adaptable to diverse national contexts and regulatory environments.
00:00:48
Speaker
To look
Overview of the AI Crisis Preparedness Plan
00:00:49
Speaker
at this new plan, I'm delighted to be joined on the podcast today by Richard Griffiths, IPC President. Richard, thank you so much for joining us today. Welcome to the podcast.
00:00:59
Speaker
Thank you. It's lovely to be here. Richard, you're with us today to talk about the IPC's new AI crisis preparedness plan, and we will look at that in detail. But before we do, could you tell us about the IPC and its role in the global poultry industry? The IPC, the International Poultry Council, we are the global trade association for the poultry meat sector.
00:01:23
Speaker
So we represent all those producers and the entire really the entire supply chain. But our primary role is to give that global setting the best level playing field, if you like. So as IPC, we go out and engage with organizations like the FAO and WOA on issues that really affect all of our members.
00:01:45
Speaker
So it's cross-cutting.
Challenges in Avian Influenza Response
00:01:46
Speaker
We look at issues that affect everybody to some degree or another, and we look to see how we can help those members and their businesses have a better presence, have a more effective trade or role in avian influenza or input into welfare plans.
00:02:04
Speaker
All of those. So Richard, let's now move to the AI crisis preparedness plan. Where avian influenza is concerned, we've seen changes to persistence and indeed geographical reach and the infection of broader range of species. Are these the changes that have prompted the plan's development?
00:02:24
Speaker
They're part of them. All of these elements are important, but actually what's driven this need to do this now is a bigger picture. We're looking at avian influenza as possibly the biggest issue that we are facing. Yes, like huge and impactful.
00:02:41
Speaker
But look even bigger and look at how food systems and how resilience in food systems is being challenged on all sorts of fronts. So we've said, look, we need to look at poultry resilience on a global scale. What's our biggest issue?
00:02:57
Speaker
avian influenza. Let's start there. So the AI preparedness plan was born from that desire to get involved in improving resilience of the sector and helping our members around the world do exactly the same on on a national or regional basis.
00:03:14
Speaker
And so has responding to
IPC's Role and Plan Implementation
00:03:16
Speaker
the virus become more difficult than in the past? That has a yes and no answer. Yes, it has become more difficult in the fact that it has spread and become more endemic in countries and it's appeared in countries that it's never appeared in before. So yes, the no side of it is it hasn't really changed that much in the way we address and map try and manage avian influenza. the practicalities of it some of the technology is moving and we're going to talk about vaccination and trade barriers as well but a lot of it it's a proven methodology the question now is
00:03:58
Speaker
How do we apply that at a broader scale? But at the same time, I was asking the question, is it still fit for purpose? And so let's say, should an outbreak occur, what exactly would the IPC do? And where does its role stop and government step in?
00:04:16
Speaker
Oh, the IPC, the limits of the IPC role are really on that global scale with FAO, WAWA, it's setting that scene. The last thing we would want to do is cut across national governments and the national members that we have. So this preparedness plan is twofold.
00:04:37
Speaker
One is to give our members the tools that will give them the confidence to work with their governments, work with their authorities, to get the best outcome. The flip side of it for the IPC is it gives us a structure to go to the likes of WOA and say, how can we help? What are the global issues that we get? The last thing we want in an outbreak is one of false information leading to a panic in the marketplace.
00:05:06
Speaker
But a big part of this is building trust and confidence between ourselves and those global organisations, but also providing the links between different parts of the chain as well.
00:05:19
Speaker
So it's intended to
Adaptability and Evolution of the Plan
00:05:21
Speaker
do quite a lot of different things, but we as IPC at that global level, helping our members at their national level do what they need to do.
00:05:30
Speaker
And this is helping them. How do you avoid telling countries or individual companies what they should do? The plan is very much a framework and it was designed to be adaptable to individual areas or situations.
00:05:45
Speaker
It's not a checklist that you move down. It's a toolkit that you can use as you need to use it. And it provides information and background and support and the evidence to help decision making.
00:05:57
Speaker
It doesn't make decisions for you. It just supports that process so that people are making decisions in as informed a way as possible. I see. Now, communication is a major part of this framework. Can you elaborate on that?
00:06:12
Speaker
I touched on it earlier in talking about how IPC's relationships with other organisations. This is a major part of this communication effort. It's making sure that the people out there, before something happens, understand our sector, what we do, how we do it, so that if something happens, there's that trust, there's that relationship there already.
00:06:34
Speaker
But you can say, right, we can work together on this. We can find the best way through. It becomes very apparent when you talk to people about trade restrictions or how the when we get into vaccination, for example, all the different perceptions and the different angles that people come at these issues from.
00:06:56
Speaker
What we're trying to do here is give a little bit of context so that everybody can be having the same conversation and understanding each other. And that's the communication part of it. So that we're providing that, almost that translation so that we're all on the same page and we can all move forward on this issue without cutting across each other.
00:07:17
Speaker
And the plan is not static. It's designed to evolve through user feedback as time goes by and people gain more experience. Tell us why you consider this
Vaccination and One Health Approach
00:07:28
Speaker
aspect to be so important.
00:07:30
Speaker
Anybody who knows the poultry industry as a whole knows that no issue is ever static. The industry itself is not static. And how we deal with avian influenza is not static.
00:07:44
Speaker
We have learned so much it it over the last 20 years that how we behave, the technologies and the understanding of how we apply controls now is much better than it was 20 years ago.
00:07:58
Speaker
We may be doing very similar things, but we are much better at it now. So we have to have a system. If it was static, it would probably be out of date by this time next year.
00:08:09
Speaker
It needs to move with some the science. It needs to move with understanding. It needs to move with different sort areas of the world and their understanding.
00:08:21
Speaker
As new countries get avian influenza, maybe for the first time, it needs to incorporate that viewpoint as well as the ones that are continually hit with AI year after year after year.
00:08:34
Speaker
So it needs to be a learning system. And that's how we've put it together. And that's how we want to take it forward. And of course, I have to ask Richard, where does the IPC stand on vaccination?
00:08:46
Speaker
Vaccination is the topic of our time at the moment when with regards to avian influenza. There are a lot of different views on how vaccination can be used. As a starting point, I don't think we're quite there on the technical aspect of vaccination. There's still a lot of work going on around the world on understanding the effectiveness of vaccination, the the effects of the long term use of vaccination, things as mundane as who pays for it.
00:09:17
Speaker
So there's still work going on how vaccination could be used. You're then going to get to the point of whether vaccination should be used. And we're approaching that point.
00:09:28
Speaker
As IPC, we are in a position where we have a whole raft of different views within our membership. So at the moment, our position on vaccination is that it could be a tool in the toolbox.
00:09:41
Speaker
We have to remember that vaccination is one part of avian influenza control. There are many other ways and interventions to manage avian influenza.
00:09:51
Speaker
Use of vaccination in itself cannot be a barrier to trade either in poultry meat or breeding stock. So we're we're just sort of feeling our way down that path. And over the next sort of year or so, I think we're going to have a much clearer picture on where different members stand on vaccination. And when we'll be further forward on the technical front as well. We will have a better understanding.
00:10:17
Speaker
Of course, this is one of those areas where that engagement with national or global authorities is crucial. And the preparedness plan includes that discussion. So we're already using the preparedness plan to engage on vaccination. We can't ultimately make that final decision.
00:10:37
Speaker
This is something for discussion in collaboration with governments as well. There are a lot of stakeholders here. So where do we stand on vaccination? We're approaching it gently and asking as many questions as we can.
00:10:52
Speaker
I say, it's going to be a tool in the toolbox. Just got to know how to use that tool. Richard, how does the One Health approach fit into the IPC's work? One Health is really important to us because at heart it links up what we're trying to do with the people and the systems that we're trying to work within.
00:11:12
Speaker
While we can't say anything professionally about the human health risks of alien influenza, we are very aware that the way that we approach our work will have to fit in with the human health system as well.
00:11:30
Speaker
So that's on the case of avian influenza. On an everyday basis, that one health approach, good for animals, good for people, is at the core of poultry meat production the world over.
00:11:42
Speaker
So it seems a natural
Trade and Regulatory Challenges
00:11:44
Speaker
approach to also apply it to the challenges we face as well. Now, Richard, if we could turn to trade, could you detail for us what happens when an outbreak occurs?
00:11:54
Speaker
Yes, with trade, in the event of an outbreak, it varies from country to country. Every country will have its own controls and restrictions when one of its trading partners has an outbreak. So if I were a country and my trading partner with me had an outbreak, I might say I'm not taking anything from that country at all.
00:12:16
Speaker
Or I might say, well, I will take products from that country, but not from that specific region where the outbreak occurred. And there are lots of variations on that. We know that these are restrictions put in for protection of birds. They're part of the avian influenza control measures.
00:12:36
Speaker
But as our understanding of how we control AI progresses, then I think we need to have an honest conversation as to whether the restrictions that that are most common are still appropriate.
00:12:50
Speaker
And the duration for which those controls are put in place. Because they do have significant impacts both on those countries or companies wanting to trade.
00:13:01
Speaker
But also the country itself if it cannot import meat or breeding stock. So again, it's part of preparing of the preparingness plan that means that we have to have those conversations about what does the future look like?
00:13:15
Speaker
with regards to trade and trade restrictions when outbreaks occur. And is it the case that some regions are unfairly impacted with trade restrictions? It feels unfair sometimes, I'm sure.
00:13:27
Speaker
And I myself, my own country, has felt unfairly impacted. But let's remind ourselves why we're doing this, why countries do this. And it is for protection against the disease and management of the disease.
00:13:43
Speaker
So we're in a position where we have to respect the controls being put in place. But that doesn't mean we can't question them, discuss them, ask whether they're they're still fit for purpose. But how does the IPC navigate varying regulatory frameworks and systems?
00:13:58
Speaker
The IPC, being an ah sort of umbrella body, has to try and balance out different requirements in different systems around the world. That is incredibly difficult to do.
00:14:10
Speaker
And that's where we rely very heavily on our members to come to the table and identify parts that they can all hold hands on, that can be worked on together. Because as all trade associations, not evolved in the commercial or competitive arena So we have to find a way to move these issues forward by identifying where everybody faces the same problem.
00:14:36
Speaker
The flip side to that is, can we take lessons learned where it's worked and apply them to other systems? We've got some great examples in AVN influenza and other areas of different members doing really good work on issues.
00:14:52
Speaker
So part of the IPC's work is to try and present those best practice. and say, look, can we learn from this? Both other members, also our global regulators as well.
00:15:05
Speaker
You mentioned that members have done some great work. What does good preparedness briefly look like to you? Good preparedness. We've just launched this. So we're just working through what it actually means on the ground and how we can help members. But for me, good preparedness starts with everybody speaking the same language, everybody understanding each other, everybody on the same page, the same starting point. I think that that's a very easy thing to say, but it's quite a difficult thing to ah achieve. And I think there's going to be a lot of work over the next sort six to eight months in making sure that everybody, all our members, all our stakeholders are having that same
00:15:45
Speaker
conversation and can have that same conversation. So when different systems occur
Conclusion and Future Directions
00:15:50
Speaker
or different issues, we're not going off in different directions. We're all in lockstep looking at the things in the same way. So preparedness is that starting point.
00:15:59
Speaker
Everybody talking the same language. So Richard, you mentioned the importance of everybody speaking the same language, everybody being on the same page. In addition to that, are there any aspects of the preparedness plan that you'd like to leave listeners with, any particular aspects and any closing thoughts for our listeners today?
00:16:18
Speaker
Yes, I sort touched on it earlier about the preparedness plan with it not being static. And part of that, the really important part of that process is getting feedback. So we've put together something that we think will help. What we need now is people to use it, test it, feedback with, hey, that's great, or all that really didn't work. So we need that evolving process, the preparedness plan, if it's going to grow and develop. with the issues. And that's really important for us from our members, but sort of the wider stakeholder group as well.
00:16:51
Speaker
The IPC is really on a new journey with this. And our aim is to really, as I said at the start, look at resilience of the poultry industry. Avian influenza is really important.
00:17:04
Speaker
But fundamentally, poultry is a foundation of the global food system. And there are lots of other shocks and challenges that we're going to face over the next two, five, 10 years.
00:17:17
Speaker
So this preparedness plan is our first step in looking at that broader conversation on resilience. So really, my closing thoughts are going to be come and share that conversation.
00:17:27
Speaker
because we're going to need all our stakeholders, all our supply chains, looking at how we are feeding the world in the future. Absolutely. Richard, thank you so much for joining us today on the podcast. It's been a pleasure to have you here.
00:17:42
Speaker
Thank you. Listeners, thank you very much for joining us today. if you'd like to learn more about the IPC, you can find its website at https colon forward slash forward slash international poultry council dot org.
00:17:58
Speaker
Don't forget to look out for future editions of the Future of Poultry podcast. Goodbye.