Canadian History Title



   Canada in the 21st Century 
        

Mad Cow (ban on Canadian beef)

   PAGE DEVELOPED BY: Lisa Holling, 2006





SUMMARY:

May 20th, 2003. was a day that all Canadian beef farmers will never forget. It was the begining of many troubles when an Alberta cow tested positive for BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), more commenly known as Mad Cow Disease. This was the first of tree reported cases of BSE in Canada , the other two were confermed on January 2nd 2005 and January 11th, 2005. BSE is a fatal disease affecting cows, that attacks their nervous systems, and there is currently no treatment for this disease. On Sept 23, 2003 a dairy cow testing positive for BSE was found in Washington State, after further research it was proven that the cow was origionally from Alberta. Cows have also tested positive for BSE in the UK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historcial Importance:

Although the mad cow outbreaks in Canada never directly affected the majority of the Canadian public, it caused great economic problems for the many beef farmers. About one-quarter of all farmers in Canada are cattle farmers. Shortly after the discoveries of BSE in Canada the U.S.A., Japan, and South Korea stopped importing many Canadian beef products. They only agreed to keep importing boneless beef comming from animals that were less than 30 months old. The beef that the Canadian farmers were able to sell was being sold for 36% less than the original selling price bfore the "Mad Cow" outbreak. There was also a decrease of 39% in the amount of beef that Canada was exporting, from 447 000 tones (before) to 272 000 (after). Billions of dollars have been lost due to the BSE outbreaks in Canada, not oonly have the farmers been affected, but the companies that distribute the feed for the cows, as well as the slaughterers, and many other businesses. It will take a while before things get back to normal in the beef industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related Articles / Links:
Article #1: What Canadians Need to Know About Mad Cow Disease

Article #2: Meat Safety:Is it Safe to eat Canadian beef

Article #3: Mad Cow Disease and beef trade: An Update

Article #4: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)


Article Critique for article #2

 

Article Critique for article #3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. What does BSE stand for?
    1. Bovine Sever Extinction
    2. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
    3. Bad Self-Esteem
    4. Beef Spontaneous Extinction



  2. What part of a cows body does BSE affect?
    1. the Central Nervous System
    2. the legs
    3. the stomach
    4. the liver



  3. Some of the countries that put a stop on many Canadian beef products include:
    1. U.S.A.
    2. South Korea
    3. Japan
    4. all of the above



  4. The exporting of Canadian beef decreased by what percent during the crisis?

    1. 25%
    2. 39%
    3. 50%
    4. 10%


      5. What was the date of the first discovery of mad cow disease in Canada?
    1. May 21, 2003.
    2. January 2, 2005.
    3. May 20, 2003.
    4. January 11, 2005.