Structural One Health? : A critical geography perspective on emerging infectious diseases and livestock
Støen, Mariel Aguilar ; Jakobsen, Jostein and Barbesgaard, Mads LU
(2026)
p.87-105
- Abstract
This chapter critically examines the structural forces shaping the emergence and spread of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs), with a particular focus on avian influenza and the poultry supply chain. Moving beyond conventional epicenter thinking, which attributes disease emergence to specific geographic locations, we argue that EIDs should be understood within broader ecological, economic, social, and political networks. Drawing on perspectives from critical geography, political economy, and ecological epidemiology, we explore how global circuits of capital – especially as they manifest in industrial livestock production – facilitate the conditions for disease outbreaks. By disaggregating the poultry supply chain, we highlight the... (More)
This chapter critically examines the structural forces shaping the emergence and spread of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs), with a particular focus on avian influenza and the poultry supply chain. Moving beyond conventional epicenter thinking, which attributes disease emergence to specific geographic locations, we argue that EIDs should be understood within broader ecological, economic, social, and political networks. Drawing on perspectives from critical geography, political economy, and ecological epidemiology, we explore how global circuits of capital – especially as they manifest in industrial livestock production – facilitate the conditions for disease outbreaks. By disaggregating the poultry supply chain, we highlight the differentiated vulnerabilities of key actors, including biotech firms, hatcheries, growers, processors, and retailers. While biosecurity measures are framed as a shared responsibility, power imbalances within supply chains determine who bears the greatest risks and economic burdens when outbreaks occur. We argue that the One Health framework, despite its emphasis on intersectoral collaboration, often fails to address these underlying structural drivers of disease emergence. We propose that supply chains themselves must become a central focus of pandemic preparedness and response. By shifting attention to the political economy of food systems, this chapter contributes to debates on how to reorganize global agriculture to mitigate future pandemics at their root causes.
(Less)
- author
- Støen, Mariel Aguilar
; Jakobsen, Jostein
and Barbesgaard, Mads
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-01-01
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- host publication
- One Health, Ecology, and the Politics of Emerging Infectious Diseases : Livestock at the Crossroads - Livestock at the Crossroads
- pages
- 19 pages
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105032597650
- ISBN
- 9781040543177
- 9781032904672
- DOI
- 10.4324/9781003558217-6
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Mariel Aguilar-Støen, Jostein Jakobsen and Rebecca Leigh Rutt; individual chapters, the contributors.
- id
- c58a77f1-0f3a-4c33-b64f-c55d892ad6e8
- date added to LUP
- 2026-04-28 16:22:02
- date last changed
- 2026-09-17 09:04:52
@inbook{c58a77f1-0f3a-4c33-b64f-c55d892ad6e8,
abstract = {{<p>This chapter critically examines the structural forces shaping the emergence and spread of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs), with a particular focus on avian influenza and the poultry supply chain. Moving beyond conventional epicenter thinking, which attributes disease emergence to specific geographic locations, we argue that EIDs should be understood within broader ecological, economic, social, and political networks. Drawing on perspectives from critical geography, political economy, and ecological epidemiology, we explore how global circuits of capital – especially as they manifest in industrial livestock production – facilitate the conditions for disease outbreaks. By disaggregating the poultry supply chain, we highlight the differentiated vulnerabilities of key actors, including biotech firms, hatcheries, growers, processors, and retailers. While biosecurity measures are framed as a shared responsibility, power imbalances within supply chains determine who bears the greatest risks and economic burdens when outbreaks occur. We argue that the One Health framework, despite its emphasis on intersectoral collaboration, often fails to address these underlying structural drivers of disease emergence. We propose that supply chains themselves must become a central focus of pandemic preparedness and response. By shifting attention to the political economy of food systems, this chapter contributes to debates on how to reorganize global agriculture to mitigate future pandemics at their root causes.</p>}},
author = {{Støen, Mariel Aguilar and Jakobsen, Jostein and Barbesgaard, Mads}},
booktitle = {{One Health, Ecology, and the Politics of Emerging Infectious Diseases : Livestock at the Crossroads}},
isbn = {{9781040543177}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{01}},
pages = {{87--105}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
title = {{Structural One Health? : A critical geography perspective on emerging infectious diseases and livestock}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003558217-6}},
doi = {{10.4324/9781003558217-6}},
year = {{2026}},
}