Video #19 - Japan: Impact of Beef Import Ban
Tuesday, February 07, 2006BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The U.S. Agriculture department announced on March 17 that it has ordered animal testing for Mad Cow Disease in the US to be increased tenfold, following the discovery of a single case of the disease (BSE) in December in the state of Washington. This means that between 200,000 and 260,000 cows will be tested over the 12 months beginning in June. The tests will be performed on healthy animals as well as the usual aging animals. This is a dramatic increase from the 20,000 cattle tested in 2003. A panel of international scientists strongly advised the action to ascertain the extent of BSE in the national herd. Other recommendations-- to discontinue feeding chicken and ruminant remains to cattle and to keep brain tissue out of animal and human consumption--have not yet been heeded. In a separate action, the USDA plans to test "as many as possible" of the approximately 446,000 cattle which are lame, unable to stand, etc., commonly referred to in the industry as "downers." 35 million cattle are slaughtered in the U.S. yearly. Beef sales are the largest portion of the food industry at $188 billion annually. Since the BSE discovery, fifty countries banned the import of U.S. beef, including the following in Asia: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong.
BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is a brain-wasting disease carried by animal feed made from cattle brains or spinal cord. It was first discovered in Britain in 1986 where it affected 178,000 cattle and was responsible for the destruction of 3.7 million animals. Consumption of this meat can lead to a fatal form of BSE in humans called CJD. It has killed 137 people, most of them in the UK.
Unfortunately, various measures have not stopped the incidence of BSE around the world. Even Japan, with its measure of testing every animal, has had 11 cases since 2001, including one during the second week of March. Part of the problem is that animals must be dead to be tested. Work on a test for live animals is underway but has yet to be developed. American farmers are asking to do their own private tests in order to market their beef as BSE-free. The USDA opposes private testing because it claims the single sick animal was an isolated case, and it wants to dispel the idea that untested cattle may be unsafe. Critics claim the USDA has a conflict of interest, because its responsibilities include promoting US agriculture and regulating it at the same time.
So far, most American consumers are continuing to eat hamburgers and steaks. That's helped the $175 billion U.S. cattle industry to keep its domestic business-the lion's share-- since only 10% of US beef is exported. The USDA's forecast for beef exports in 2004 stands at 430 million pounds, much lower than 2003 sales due to bans imposed by foreign countries since the BSE outbreak.
Mexico is reportedly about to resume limited US beef imports. Japan continues to demand that the U.S. test each animal, as it does, before it will allow imports of US beef to resume. Japan tops the list of foreign American beef buyers ($1.4 billion last year), and US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick has reportedly urged Japan to reconsider its ban. There is also a chance that the U.S. will ask the World Trade Organization (WTO) to outlaw bans on US meat imports as illegal trade barriers. On March 16, Reuters quoted Allen Johnson, the top U.S. agriculture trade negotiator, as saying, "We'll look at whatever options we have to at the appropriate time." Senator Max Baucus, the senior Democrat overseeing trade matters, voiced concerns that the Mad Cow controversy could lead to "a bigger trade conflict."
SOURCES
"First 'Mad Cow' case rattles US." BBC NEWS, December 24, 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/3345455.stm
Cowan Richard, "US trade official warns Japan on Mad Cow beef ban." REUTERS, March 16, 2004
Goldenberg, Suzanne, "US agriculture chiefs increase tests tenfold for Mad Cow Disease." The Guardian, March 17, 2004.
Knickerbocker, Brad, "Mad Cow effects ripple through food economy." The Christian Science Monitor, March 12, 2004. csmonitor.com2004/0312/p02s01.html
MacKenzie, Debora, "US to test many more cattle for BSE." New Scientist, March 16, 2004. NewScientist.com
LESSON PLAN
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:
10-12 grade Economics, International Relations, World History, Geography, International Baccalaureate Programs (IB), Current Events.
PURPOSE:
To present activities to be used in a variety of classroom situations in order to enhance student understanding of the Asian economy and its significance globally.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
- Describe BSE and its consequences on humans.
- List events leading to the current trade impasse on US beef.
- Use statistics to show the effect of Mad Cow Disease on the beef industry in terms of sales at home and internationally.
- Explain possible ways to prevent the disease from spreading.
- Speculate on how to resolve the Japanese ban on US beef imports.
MATERIALS:
- Background information provided.
- Resources on mad cow disease and US trade available at your school's Media Center and the Public Library System in your area.
- Background information available through Internet "search engines".
- http://www.tfc101.com.tw
- www.newfarm.org
ACTIVITIES:
May be assigned as group activities or as individual tasks. They may also be designed as preparation for related presentations either by individuals or groups.
- Create a multimedia presentation including the description, the history and the economic consequences of BSE/Mad Cow Disease. (Cooperative Learning Groups may be assigned different aspects of the report)
- Hold a mock trade summit including representatives from US, Japan, Canada, UK etc...to discuss international measures to contain mad cow disease and build consumer confidence to aid the beef industry.
- Create an informational pamphlet to restore consumer confidence in US beef.
EVALUATION:
Individual assignments should be graded by the teacher using established criteria.
Group activities, presentations and projects may be evaluated by teachers and students using the following criteria and scale: Content 1 = Superior (A) Creativity 2 = Excellent (B) Clarity 3 = Good (C) 4 = Fair (D) 5 = Poor (F)
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