Agribusiness vs. Public Health: Disease Control in Resource-Asymmetric Conflict

Abstract

In the context of modern civilization, the ecology of infectious disease cannot be described by interacting populations alone, as much of the modeling literature presumes. As a matter of first principle, formalisms and their statistical applications must account for the anthrosphere from which pathogens emerge. With that objective in mind, we first formally examine strategies for controlling outbreaks by way of environmental stochasticities human institutions help set. Using the Data Rate Theorem, we next explore disease control regimens under asymmetric conflicts between agribusiness interests rich in resources and State public health agencies and local communities constrained by those very resources. Military theory describes surprising successes in the face of such an imbalance, a result we apply here. Abduction points to strategies by which public health can defeat agribusinesses in its efforts to control agriculture-led pandemics, the heavy health and fiscal costs of which multinationals routinely pass off to the public.

De los agronegocios a la agroecología y la transición hacia un sistema alimentario sostenible en Panamá

“…Also, the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 has clearly shown major dysfunctions within the food system in Panama, through widening inequities among workers along its supply chain. is is suggesting that the current agro-industrial model of food production is inadequate to maintain people's health and food security, as centralized food processing plants have exacerbated this public health crisis (Wallace et al 2020). Christensen et al (2020) argued that these and similar facilities are the weakest link in a vulnerable supply chain, which dominated by few, vertically integrated corporations continue to threat access to healthy, nutritious food to many citizens in every country.…”

“…In sum, the agri-food supply chain needs to be structurally transformed and Panama is not exempted from this compelling need. An emphasis on decentralization, especially when processing and marketing meats and other animal/dairy products, should be a priority goal to achieve, in averting the spreading of notorious zoonoses (Wallace et al 2020). is will require support and investments not only to preserve the functionality of existing farms, but also to provide incentives for new farmers to produce quality food according to the tenets of agroecology theory and practices (Altieri 2016).…”