Surviving Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE): Farm Women's Discussion of the Effects of BSE on Food Provisioning Practices

Abstract

The economic vulnerability of beef and other farm families following the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis in Canada poses a risk to their household food provisioning practices. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of BSE since 2003 on the food provisioning practices of beef and other farm families in three Canadian provinces. Semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 farm women (6 in Alberta, 6 in Ontario, and 10 in Nova Scotia) that focused on their food provisioning strategies. Women also provided basic sociodemographic information about their households. While the farm women interviewed revealed that BSE exerted a financial impact on their farm operation, it did not prevent them from eating foods that they valued as wholesome, safe, and healthy for their family. There was no hesitancy in consuming beef from Canadian sources; in fact, beef consumption often increased because of decisions to keep slaughtered cows for home consumption rather than accept low cull cow prices. Other food provisioning strategies reported included seeking out alternative markets, purchasing food on credit, and directing off-farm income to purchase food.

Acknowledgements

This article is based in part upon a poster of the same name presented at Making Tracks, PrP^Canada 2008: Canada's Prion Research Conference. February 3–5, 2008. Winner of the Best Poster Award for the Population and Risk Assessment Theme.

We acknowledge Bonnie Anderson, interviewer for Nova Scotia. We thank the women who shared their insights. We also acknowledge Wilfreda Thurston and Carol Amaratunga, co-principal investigators of “A cohort study of the impact of prion disease on farm family community health,” along with the following partnering institutions: University of Ottawa, Brandon University, Concordia University, University of Manitoba, University of Saskatchewan, Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence, British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, and Nova Scotia Agricultural College. Funding was provided by PrioNet Canada, Alberta Prion Research Institute, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (University of Calgary), Office of the Vice-President Research (University of Calgary), and the Faculty of Medicine (University of Calgary). The research and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders.

Notes

¹Household food insecurity occurs when, due to a lack of income, a household is unable to acquire or consume sufficient, nutritious food in socially acceptable ways, or it is uncertain that it will be able to do so (Davis & Tarasuk, 1994).