Abstract
Pig farmers in the United States have a demonstrated historical and ongoing commitment to continuously improving pork production practices. This commitment includes employing One Health practices on their farms through the 6 We Care® Ethical Principles (WECP). These principles are a producer-conceived, philosophical guidance for pork production that empowers and protects people who work on the farms and live in communities where pork is produced. Simultaneously, these principles safeguard the planet’s environment and natural resources and ensure the wellbeing of pigs themselves. As such, they directly align with One Health practices that recognize the connections between human, animal and environmental health. While historically, the One Health approach has been applied to emerging and reemerging zoonotic diseases, this approach is equally applicable across all aspects of pork production. Embedded within the US swine industry are programs such as Pork Quality Assurance® Plus, Transport Quality Assurance®, and the Common Swine Industry Audit. These education and certification programs employ One Health strategies in a way that has direct, “in-barn” application and ensure producers are following industry-established best practices. The One Health approach was implemented by the US swine industry in 2013, with the detection of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) for the first time in the US herd. This disease led to a herd mortality of up to 50% and significant reduction in the number of pigs produced in the United States during a 12-month period. The impacts of the virus were devastating and the response to it required an interconnected, multifaceted approach. We verify the use of a One Health approach through the application of the WCEPs by the US swine industry to respond to the 2013 PEDV outbreak.
Keywords
Introduction
O
Pig farmers in the United States have a longstanding commitment to continuous improvement and advancement of pork production practices. 5 Unknowingly, pig producers have implemented the One Health approach to pork production for decades as part of their continually evolving good production practices. 4 Holistically, the pork ecosystem includes pigs, the manure they produce, soil, water and air of the surrounding fields, and the grain crops grown on the fields that are then used as part of a healthy swine diet. As good stewards of natural resources within the pork ecosystem, pig farmers are focused on producing safe, nutritious protein in a way that optimizes pig health and welfare, protects workers’ safety and public health, and safeguards natural resources for future generations. Furthermore, pork production often provides employment opportunities in rural areas, thereby supporting the economic viability of the communities where pigs are raised. 6
Developed by pork producers, the 6 We Care® Ethical Principles (WCEPs) are a philosophical approach to pork production that is good for people, pigs, and the planet. 5 They are the framework for responsible and ethical pork production in the United States. These principles are (1) animal wellbeing, (2) community, (3) environment, (4) food safety, (5) our people, and (6) public health. First conceived in the early 2000s, they have since been reimagined as the foundation of programs and information serving as an outward statement of the pork industry’s commitment to ethical and sustainable pork production.
In addition to the daily application of the One Health approach through the WCEPs, producers also apply it in cases of both zoonotic and swine-specific disease outbreaks. Outlined next is the application of the WCEPs during an infectious swine disease outbreak and how it mirrors the One Health approach. Principle names, definitions, and connections to the One Health framework are highlighted and their utility in a nonzoonotic disease outbreak clarified.
We Care® Ethical Principles
The WCEPs are reflective of the One Health framework. Each principle is equally important and represented in a variety of programs and projects within the US swine industry. Listed in alphabetical order, we describe them and simultaneously note how each is connected to the One Health framework.
Animal Wellbeing
This principle details the importance of providing an environment that promotes animal wellbeing, 5 including during animal handling and movement. Ensuring pig health is protected by providing proper treatment and veterinary care when necessary and using industry-approved euthanasia methods in a timely manner for those sick or injured animals that do not respond to treatment is imperative to optimizing pig welfare.7,8 This principle falls squarely into the animal health sector of the One Health framework by focusing on the health and welfare of pigs.
Community
Pork producers understand that being welcomed into and appreciated by the communities in which they operate is an earned privilege, 5 so they take an active role in building strong communities by contributing to local food banks, volunteering, and providing scholarships. 9 They acknowledge that management practices can affect community trust, so they respond to community concerns honestly and sincerely. Therefore, it is critical that they operate in a way that protects the environment and public health of the people in communities where pigs are raised. Furthermore, their presence in rural communities provides job opportunities and economic growth for their neighbors as well as a safe source of animal protein for human consumption. 6 This principle connects to the human health sector of the One Health framework.
Environment
This principle highlights managing pig manure as a valuable resource in a manner that safeguards natural resources including soil, water, and air. 5 Pork producers develop and follow farm-specific nutrient management plans and manage air quality in and from pig housing facilities to ensure a healthy environment for neighbors, the community, farm workers, and animals present in barns. 10 This principle connects to both the environmental and human health sectors of the One Health framework because animal caretakers work in the barns where pigs are raised and live in communities near where the barns are located. By safeguarding these natural resources humans and communities including the farmers themselves are protected.
Food Safety
This principle promotes management practices consistent with producing safe food such as observing antibiotic withdrawal periods, using medically important antibiotics only under prescription by a licensed veterinarian, and adhering to biosecurity protocols to reduce disease introduction into farms. 5 Employing herd health strategies and technologies that promote safe pork production are critical to fulfilling this principle. This principle falls squarely into the human health sector of the One Health framework.
Our People
The people who work as animal caretakers in barns are crucial to successful pork production. Therefore, pork producers should provide an environment that promotes the wellbeing of these workers.5,11 This includes training on safe and humane animal handling and husbandry to enable animal caretakers to safely and successfully carry out their duties consistent with the principles.12,13 Additionally, pork producers work to provide a work environment where all employees are treated fairly and respectfully and are provided with opportunities for professional growth and development. 14 This principle falls squarely into the human health sector of the One Health framework.
Public Health
Under this principle, pork producers use management practices that are consistent with producing safe food such as keeping record of all animal health-related treatments and observing antibiotic withdrawal periods. 5 They manage animal health products as well as manure and air quality to protect public health. Additionally, a survey reported that about 84% of veterinarians recommend caretakers receive annual human influenza vaccine. This statistic highlights a common practice among producers to prevent transmission of a zoonotic pathogen by providing the influenza vaccine to their employees. 15 This principle aligns with the human health sector of the One Health framework with clear overlaps with the environmental health sector.
From Principles to Practice: Application of the One Health Approach
Though several WCEPs fall into the human health sector of the One Health framework, US pig farmers employ a balanced, holistic approach to pork production via comprehensive implementation of all these principles. Programs such as the Pork Quality Assurance® Plus (PQA Plus®), Transport Quality Assurance®, and the Common Swine Industry Audit support these principles and serve to identify feasible ways for pig farmers and animal caretakers to convert these principles to good production practices.11,16,17 The following is a brief overview of these programs, highlighting their origins, histories, and connections to the WCEPs and One Health approach.
Pork Quality Assurance Plus
Implemented in 1985 as Pork Quality Assurance, the PQA Plus® program was initially focused on preventing food safety events caused by violative residues in pork.11,12,18–20 The program, modeled after food safety hazard analysis critical control points outlined the recordkeeping process following treatment and/or vaccination of pigs to prevent negative food safety outcomes. 21 As time passed and residue detections decreased, additional one-off education programs and materials aimed at improving swine husbandry practices, animal welfare, farm biosecurity, and public health were developed and implemented by the swine industry. With the inception of the WCEPs in 2007, the PQA Plus® program was born by folding in that additional information. This created a comprehensive program spanning all 6 WCEPs with content that describes best practices to prevent food safety events, improve swine health through biosecurity, and ensure producer and public health. Today, this International Organization for Standardization-compliant program has become the trusted source of producer education garnering buy-in across the industry and with pork supply chain partners. Currently, most producers and their staff are PQA Plus® certified, and their site(s) assessed to show adherence to the program. 19
The program is divided into 2 key components: individual certification and site assessment. Both aspects of the program must be renewed every 3 years. The individual certification and/or the renewal process require either in-person or web-based training and examination on key aspects and good production practices tied to all 6 WCEPs. A site assessment is also conducted by a first- or second-party individual associated with the site and serves to confirm that the practices outlined in the program are properly implemented. Unlike an audit, the goal of this assessment is to provide educational input on identified gaps and provide producers with an opportunity to address these gaps prior to a true third-party audit. 17 To ensure the program remains accurate and aligns with existing science, it is revised, and a new version published every 3 years. Today, this program is the US swine industry’s flagship program and has been emulated in other food animal production industries. 22
Transport Quality Assurance
Similar to the PQA Plus® program, Transport Quality Assurance® is a triannual program focused on the movement and transportation of pigs of all ages via motor vehicles. 16 This program educates farmers, farm workers, and animal transporters on how to safely and humanely load and transport pigs. While grounded in the WCEPs, this program emphasizes pig behavior during handling to ensure the health and safety of both animal handlers and pigs.
Common Swine Industry Audit
The Common Swine Industry Audit is a third-party audit owned and updated by members of the swine industry and facilitated by Pork Checkoff to assess adherence to the WCEPs. Mirroring the PQA Plus® site assessment, the audit objectively assesses the effective on-farm implementation of the WCEPs with an emphasis on the program’s food safety and animal wellbeing aspects.17,23 It is an example of the swine industry’s collaboration and commitment to earning consumer trust by validating the effectiveness of the PQA Plus® program.
Addressing Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus
As we have established, US pig farmers apply the One Health approach on their farms daily via the WCEPs. Notably, it is during times of increased disease pressure that the true value of this foundation, history, and approach is seen. We provide a narrative example of a swine-specific disease outbreak and its impact on the 3 sectors of the One Health Framework—human health, animal health, and environmental health—to display the benefits of utilizing the holistic One Health approach via the WCEPs. Importantly, many of these aspects are conserved across all disease outbreaks in the swine industry given their grounding in the One Health approach. The only difference being the additional worker safety and/or human health impacts that may result from a zoonotic disease risk in the case of a zoonotic disease outbreak such as influenza.
In 2013, the US swine herd experienced the first introduction of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). 24 This outbreak reinforced the importance of the One Health approach in the form of the WCEPs to respond and protect farmers, the pigs in their care, and the environment. The virus causes malabsorptive diarrhea in pigs of all ages leading to increased morbidity rates over 50%, with an increased neonate mortality of up to 100%, and negatively impacting pig health and welfare (One Health area: animal health; WCEP: animal wellbeing).25,26 Although not a zoonotic disease, the disease negatively impacted the health and wellbeing of farmers and farm staff via its impacts on pig health and business viability (One Health areas: human health, animal health; WCEP: our people, animal wellbeing). 25
Increased mortality and subsequent carcass disposal negatively impacted food security by increasing the cost of pork products for consumers due to decreased supply (One Health areas: human health, animal health; WCEP: community, animal wellbeing). 10 Despite the impact of this disease on the pork supply, food safety—in the form of detailed animal treatment records and observance of antibiotic withdrawal periods—remained a primary focus of the industry (One Health areas: human health, animal health; WCEP: food safety, animal wellbeing). Biosecurity practices were improved and basics—including refining shower-in/shower-out facility access procedures, limiting human contact with pigs of unknown health status, and washing pig transport vehicles—were reinforced to reduce the introduction of this pathogen along with other swine pathogens into herds (One Health areas: human health, animal health, environmental health; WCEP: public health, our people, community, animal wellbeing, environment). Specifically, swine transport biosecurity was a major focus, as studies determined harvest facilities and pig transport vehicles contributed to the spread of PEDV. 27 The industry, in cooperation with its downstream partners, developed and implemented new biosecurity measures such as thermo-assisted drying and decontamination for trailers.27,28 Collaborative efforts bridging private industry, state and federal agencies, and professional associations were formed as a result of the PEDV outbreak. These ongoing partnerships continue to improve the overall understanding of swine diseases and their spread and to provide tactics to address future swine diseases outbreaks.
Given the industry’s One Health approach to pork production, the 3 aspects of the One Health approach are readily apparent in cases of a swine-specific disease. This approach allows the industry to implement a holistic, efficient, and effective disease response program.
Moving Toward a Sustainable Outcome
Every day, pig farmers and animal caretakers apply the One Health approach by upholding the WCEPs. Whether managing disease outbreaks or providing a source of safe, nutritious animal protein, farmers must balance the health and welfare of their pigs with the health and safety of the people working on their farms and living in the neighboring community, as well as the consumers of their product. They are also stewards of the environment, working to ensure that their practices protect natural resources for future generations. In times of increased disease pressure (zoonotic or otherwise), as evident in the PEDV example, the industry works to effectively implement the WCEPs, thereby working in a holistic One Health way to protect people, pigs, and the planet. The industry’s commitment to the WCEPs provides an opportunity for proponents of the One Health approach to identify meaningful ways to engage the industry by speaking a shared, universal language across disciplines especially in areas where collaboration is necessary to reach a shared goal.