Presented by Barbara Rischkowsky, Tamsin Dewé and Kristina Rösel at the Multi-stakeholder Workshop for Targeting Action Research on Lowland Sheep and Goat Value Chains in Ethiopia, Debre Zeit 1-2 April 2013
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Safe Food, Fair Food: Summary of findings within lowland goat and sheep value chains in Ethiopia
1. Safe Food, Fair Food: Summary
of findings within lowland goat and
sheep value chains in Ethiopia
Barbara Rischkowsky, Tamsin Dewé, Kristina Rösel,
Multi-stakeholder Workshop for Targeting Action Research on Lowland
Sheep and Goat Value Chains in Ethiopia
Debre Zeit 1-2April 2013
2. Safe Food, Fair Food
Protecting the health of poor consumers
and
Safeguarding livelihoods of poor livestock
keepers and other value chain actors
3. Background
Looking at risks to food safety and
nutrition within sheep and goat value
chains
Trying to identify opportunities for
further research and intervention
Ultimate goal is to ensure adequate
intake of safe and nutritious foods, while
protecting the livelihoods of poor value
chain actors
4. Activities
Rapid assessment conducted
alongside rapid VCA at each
site
Participatory rural appraisals
(PRAs) with producer and
consumer groups
Also focus group discussions
(FGDs) with mothers of young
children
Topics included animal health,
consumption patterns, food
preparation, and perceptions of
quality and safety of meat and
milk
5. Results: both sites
Sheep and goat meat consumption
– Very similar between sites
– Peaks at major national and religious festivals
– Low in intervening periods
6. Results: both sites
Risks to safety of sheep and goat meat
– Emergency slaughter and consumption of
diseased animals can occur
– Purchase of meat from informal markets
Risk mitigation
– Don’t eat animals affected by specific diseases
– Smell, colour and absence of pus/lesions used to
assess quality and safety
– Cooking of ‘suspect’ meat thoroughly
7. Results: both sites
Sheep and goat milk consumption
– Consumption seasonal: depends on combination
of lambing/kidding and feed availability
8. Results: both sites
Risks to safety of sheep and goat
milk
– Consumption of raw milk
Risk mitigation
– Smoking milking containers
– Don’t consume milk that is
discoloured or contains blood or
pus
– Processing to butter
10. Results: Borena
Risky food practices
– Consumption of dead animals, even if suspected
of anthrax
– Consumption of milk with sour or abnormal taste
or smell
– Milk is not boiled at Eloheye
– Children given food other than breast milk at
young age (<6 months)
Risk mitigation
– Meat considered unsafe is trimmed and/or boiled
thoroughly in rural areas
– In town, ‘suspect’ meat is not purchased
– Milk is sieved to remove dirt and hair
Nutritional issues
– Producers consume more meat and milk than
those at other sites
– Town people do not always have access
12. Results: Shinelle
Risky food practices
– Consumption of animals with FMD
or tick-related disease
– Purchase of meat from informal
markets
– Consumption of raw milk
Risk-mitigating practices
– Only healthy animals slaughtered
otherwise
– Dead animals not consumed
– Urban consumers avoid ‘suspect’
meat
– Meat cooked thoroughly
– Processing of milk into butter
13. Conclusions
Meat
– Increased frequency of consumption
compared to other sites
– Especially risky practices (raw meat,
sick or dead animals) in Borena
– Better if all meat and offal is well-
cooked - some loss of nutritional
quality, but large reduction in risks
– Role of informal butchers at both sites
Milk
– Boiling milk is a simple message to
convey to reduce foodborne disease
– Less consumption whole shoat milk in
towns/cities