Global Health Governance and Multinational Meat Producers: Pork and Poultry Breeding in the Face of Emerging Infectious Diseases

This study examines links between health-related regulations at various governance levels and corporate breeding strategies in the face of emerging infectious diseases (EID) in the poultry and pork sectors. An improved understanding of multinational breeding corporations' responses to EID and to evolving regulatory frameworks is crucial for global health governance and food security. We choose the cases of poultry and pork breeding due to the rapid spread of high pathogen avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) and African Swine Fever (ASF), coupled with the highly consolidated breeding corporations in these sectors (EW Group, Tyson; Norsvin-Topigs). We ask: How do multinational breeding corporations (poultry and pork) respond to evolving legal frameworks to regulate EIDs and what are their strategies in response to HPAIV and ASF? There is scant insight in the breeding strategies of dominant multinational breeding corporations regarding EIDs and in how current regulations address global health concerns. Governance is characterized by fragmented regulatory and institutional landscapes at international, regional and national levels. We limit the empirical study to the World Health Organization, the EU and Norwegian regulations. Analytically, this paper combines a multilevel governance approach with examination of corporate strategies toward regulations. Corporate strategies are conceived of in terms of three ideal types: from i) the ‘reluctant adapters’ to strengthened regulations, via ii) the ‘proactive innovators’ seeking new market opportunities, to iii) the ‘social responsibility’ type, mixing social norms of responsibility with profit maximization. We examine the relation between corporate strategies and fragmented regulatory and institutional landscapes. Methodologically we apply document analysis along with key actor interviews in the pork and poultry sectors.