Contextualized understandings of dairy farmers' perspectives on antimicrobial use and regulation in Alberta, Canada
ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been largely attributed to antimicrobial use (AMU). To achieve judicious AMU, much research and many policies focus on knowledge translation and behavioral change mechanisms. To address knowledge gaps in contextual drivers of decisions made by dairy farme...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Dairy Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030222006749 |
| _version_ | 1797980395231248384 |
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| author | Jennifer A. Ida Warren M. Wilson Daryl V. Nydam S. Craig Gerlach John P. Kastelic Elizabeth R. Russell Kayley D. McCubbin Cindy L. Adams Herman W. Barkema |
| author_facet | Jennifer A. Ida Warren M. Wilson Daryl V. Nydam S. Craig Gerlach John P. Kastelic Elizabeth R. Russell Kayley D. McCubbin Cindy L. Adams Herman W. Barkema |
| author_sort | Jennifer A. Ida |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been largely attributed to antimicrobial use (AMU). To achieve judicious AMU, much research and many policies focus on knowledge translation and behavioral change mechanisms. To address knowledge gaps in contextual drivers of decisions made by dairy farmers concerning AMU, we conducted ethnographic fieldwork to investigate one community's understanding of AMU, AMR, and associated regulations in the dairy industry in Alberta, Canada. This included participation in on-farm activities and observations of relevant interactions on dairy farms in central Alberta for 4 mo. Interviews were conducted with 25 dairy farmers. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and yielded several key findings. Many dairy farmers in this sample: (1) value their autonomy and hope to maintain agency regarding AMU; (2) have shared cultural and immigrant identities which may inform their perspectives of future AMU regulation as it relates to their farming autonomy; (3) feel that certain AMU policies implemented in other contexts would be impractical in Alberta and would constrain their freedom to make what they perceive to be the best animal welfare decisions; (4) believe that their knowledge and experience are undervalued by consumers and policy makers; (5) are concerned that the public does not have a complex understanding of dairy farming and, consequently, worry that AMU policy will be based on misguided consumer concerns; and (6) are variably skeptical of a link between AMU in dairy cattle and AMR in humans due to their strict adherence to milk safety protocols that is driven by their genuine care for the integrity of the product. A better understanding of the sociocultural and political-economic infrastructure that supports such perceptions is warranted and should inform efforts to improve AMU stewardship and future policies regarding AMU. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:53:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d09e8a2968934b35b92c004843747fa1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-0302 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:53:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Dairy Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-d09e8a2968934b35b92c004843747fa12022-12-22T04:41:58ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022023-01-011061547564Contextualized understandings of dairy farmers' perspectives on antimicrobial use and regulation in Alberta, CanadaJennifer A. Ida0Warren M. Wilson1Daryl V. Nydam2S. Craig Gerlach3John P. Kastelic4Elizabeth R. Russell5Kayley D. McCubbin6Cindy L. Adams7Herman W. Barkema8Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; Corresponding authorDepartment of Anthropology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, CanadaDepartment of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, CanadaDepartment of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, CanadaAnimal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, CanadaDepartment of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, CanadaDepartment of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, CanadaDepartment of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, CanadaABSTRACT: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been largely attributed to antimicrobial use (AMU). To achieve judicious AMU, much research and many policies focus on knowledge translation and behavioral change mechanisms. To address knowledge gaps in contextual drivers of decisions made by dairy farmers concerning AMU, we conducted ethnographic fieldwork to investigate one community's understanding of AMU, AMR, and associated regulations in the dairy industry in Alberta, Canada. This included participation in on-farm activities and observations of relevant interactions on dairy farms in central Alberta for 4 mo. Interviews were conducted with 25 dairy farmers. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and yielded several key findings. Many dairy farmers in this sample: (1) value their autonomy and hope to maintain agency regarding AMU; (2) have shared cultural and immigrant identities which may inform their perspectives of future AMU regulation as it relates to their farming autonomy; (3) feel that certain AMU policies implemented in other contexts would be impractical in Alberta and would constrain their freedom to make what they perceive to be the best animal welfare decisions; (4) believe that their knowledge and experience are undervalued by consumers and policy makers; (5) are concerned that the public does not have a complex understanding of dairy farming and, consequently, worry that AMU policy will be based on misguided consumer concerns; and (6) are variably skeptical of a link between AMU in dairy cattle and AMR in humans due to their strict adherence to milk safety protocols that is driven by their genuine care for the integrity of the product. A better understanding of the sociocultural and political-economic infrastructure that supports such perceptions is warranted and should inform efforts to improve AMU stewardship and future policies regarding AMU.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030222006749antimicrobial usebehavioral contextethnographic fieldworkpolicydairy farmers |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer A. Ida Warren M. Wilson Daryl V. Nydam S. Craig Gerlach John P. Kastelic Elizabeth R. Russell Kayley D. McCubbin Cindy L. Adams Herman W. Barkema Contextualized understandings of dairy farmers' perspectives on antimicrobial use and regulation in Alberta, Canada Journal of Dairy Science antimicrobial use behavioral context ethnographic fieldwork policy dairy farmers |
| title | Contextualized understandings of dairy farmers' perspectives on antimicrobial use and regulation in Alberta, Canada |
| title_full | Contextualized understandings of dairy farmers' perspectives on antimicrobial use and regulation in Alberta, Canada |
| title_fullStr | Contextualized understandings of dairy farmers' perspectives on antimicrobial use and regulation in Alberta, Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contextualized understandings of dairy farmers' perspectives on antimicrobial use and regulation in Alberta, Canada |
| title_short | Contextualized understandings of dairy farmers' perspectives on antimicrobial use and regulation in Alberta, Canada |
| title_sort | contextualized understandings of dairy farmers perspectives on antimicrobial use and regulation in alberta canada |
| topic | antimicrobial use behavioral context ethnographic fieldwork policy dairy farmers |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030222006749 |
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