Farmers are an integral part of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in the veterinary domain

Work from OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) supports farmers’ involvement in PPP

by Isabelle Dieuzy-Labaye, Senior Advisor, Partnerships, World Organisation for Animal Health

Farmers and their representing organisations at regional or national levels are key stakeholders in the initiation, development and implementation of impactful and sustainable Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the veterinary domain.

This is evidenced by a large survey conducted by the OIE among its 182 Member Countries. Public and private participants in this on-line survey responded with their account and experience of successful PPPs in the veterinary domain. From this large database, the OIE, in partnership with Cirad (the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development) and with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, drew a typology of PPPs in the field of animal health. This work was recently published in PLOS ONE.

Most PPPs in the veterinary domain will involve farmers, including pastoralists, as important stakeholders. Moreover, producer organisations are clearly identified as the key private partners of many successful PPPs in the veterinary domain. One of the PPP clusters identified in the work conducted by OIE and Cirad involves partnerships between the National public Veterinary Services and Farmers’ groups or associations. Activities within these PPPs range from participation in defining policies, programs and legislation around animal health, to improving surveillance of diseases or collaborating to improve disease control, ensure food safety and facilitate trade and access to national or export markets.

Based on the global survey, and under guidance by experts from both the public and private sectors, the OIE produced a set of guidelines for impactful and sustainable PPPs in the veterinary domain: the OIE PPP Handbook.  These guidelines are illustrated by case examples, detailing the benefits and impact of partnerships, in particular between private producers and the public sector. For example, in Namibia, PPP allowed the development of an emergency animal health fund which could be mobilized during an FMD outbreak to assist the Veterinary Services to efficiently set up disease control measures and maintain export livestock and meat markets. In Paraguay, the collaboration between the Veterinary Services and cattle producers through the Foundation of Animal Health Services (FUNDASSA) strengthens vaccination, certification and registration within the national programs to control diseases such as brucellosis or FMD. Participation and empowerment of livestock producers are considered key elements to ensure the success of the execution of animal health programs. This is of critical importance in a country where livestock employs 17% of the active population and contributes 12% GDP. In Australia, producer associations for the majority of animal industries – covering intensive (poultry meat and eggs, dairy, pigs and feedlots) as well as extensive productions (cattle, sheep meat, wool, goats and alpacas) and equestrian, are key private partners within Animal Health Australia, a not-for-profit public company that facilitates innovative partnerships between multiple levels of government, livestock industries and other stakeholders to protect animal health and the sustainability of Australia’s livestock industry.

Following the release of the OIE PPP Handbook at the OIE 87th General Session in May 2019, the OIE recently conducted several regional workshops in Africa and Asia, gathering public and private sector representatives of around 40 countries to stimulate common work on potential PPPs to strengthen veterinary services. Farmers were represented in several countries and expressed high interest, highlighting the importance to have representative bodies that well represent their needs, in order to efficiently engage into partnerships with other public or private stakeholders.

The OIE is willing to further disseminate these guidelines and continue its work with partners to expand on this initiative, in view of better serving needs of both public and private stakeholders in the veterinary domain. The latest edition of OIE’s flagship publication, the OIE Panorama, released in January 2020, focuses on “Public-Private Partnerships and perspectives in the veterinary domain”.  Several tools presenting the benefits and impact of PPP are also fully available and downloadable on the OIE website: www.oie.int/publicprivatepartnerships .

The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health recently signed an agreement to confirm their joint efforts, putting farmers at the very centre of discussions about animal health.

For more information on the OIE PPP initiative and its next steps, please contact oie@oie.int