Poultry sector structure ‘key’ to resilience against avian flu says research
The structure of Great Britain's poultry industry could play an important role in its resilience to high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), alongside biosecurity measures taken at individual farms, according to research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and the University of Cambridge.
The study found that planning, infrastructure, supply-chain concentration and financial risk can all influence the sector's ability to prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks. The findings could help policymakers and industry strengthen disease preparedness as the UK's poultry sector continues to expand.
Around 1.1bn birds are reared in Great Britain each year, mainly for meat, alongside production of approximately 12bn eggs. The sector has also experienced its most severe HPAI outbreaks over the past four years, with repeated infections affecting commercial poultry and wild birds.
Researchers from the RVC and Cambridge assessed the structure of the industry through the lens of avian influenza resilience, combining a review of scientific literature, policy and industry evidence with 19 stakeholder interviews, farm visits and workshops.
They mapped poultry production and distribution networks to identify how different parts of the sector interact and where vulnerabilities could arise. The analysis considered the spatial, temporal and operational dimensions of the industry, alongside the social, economic and environmental factors influencing disease resilience.
Two particular challenges emerged around planning and insurance, said the researchers. Firstly, they found that decisions over where poultry production is located, and how new developments are balanced against environmental priorities and local communities, can influence disease resilience. A second factor identified is financial risk given that access to avian influenza insurance and existing compensation arrangements affecting how producers manage and recover from outbreaks remaining limited.
The analysis also highlighted differences between poultry meat, egg and game bird production, with each facing distinct production and disease risks. Concentration of poultry production and processing infrastructure was another factor affecting how disease risk is managed across supply chains.
Dr Mat Hennessey, lecturer in agribusiness at the RVC, said: "While the day-to-day activities which occur on and around farms are important in maintaining disease security, our study takes a step back to think about the long-term vision for a resilient poultry sector."
The production and distribution maps developed through the project could provide a resource for industry, researchers and policymakers when considering future planning and disease preparedness.
The researchers argue that strengthening resilience will require action beyond farm-level biosecurity. As demand for poultry increases, decisions over the location of new developments, upgrading existing infrastructure and management of disease risk across supply chains will become increasingly important.
Paniz Hosseini, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine, said strong biosecurity practices remained important, but that "biosecurity alone" may not be sufficient without wider coordination around planning and infrastructure.
The research was conducted as part of the FluTrailMap programme, a multidisciplinary Great Britain-wide science programme led by the Pirbright Institute, and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs through the UKRI Rapid Response programme. Pic: Emma Cate
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