E. coli, cucumbers and counting costs

Quote
“To feel keenly the poetry of a morning's roses, one has to have just escaped from the claws of this vulture which we call sickness.”  Henri Frederic Amiel

News

The death toll from the outbreak of a rare strain of e coli in Germany has now passed 30, and it continues to cause heavy economic losses right across Europe.  The combination of the deadly effects of this particular bacteria, the slow response from the German authorities and the difficulty in isolating its source has heightened the anxiety felt by consumers all across the continent. 

Today the Robert Koch Institute, responsible for disease control, announced their conclusion that the contamination has indeed come from a farm producing bean sprouts in Lower Saxony.  Over the last two weeks the suspected culprit has moved from Spanish cucumbers to salad vegetables in general, before focusing on the locally grown bean sprouts. 

Given the severity of the health scare, the consequence has been the near collapse of the market for tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and peppers in many European countries.  Spanish farmers estimate their losses at over €175 million so far, and say it could take months for sales to recover.

This crisis illustrates how, in a closely interconnected EU, the decisions made in one part of the continent can have a devastating impact on third parties 2,000 miles away.  The German health officials, anxious to contain the disease outbreak in Hamburg, indicated that Spanish cucumbers might be to blame, although the evidence was not conclusive.  This ended up wrecking the relationship between Spanish (and other) farmers and their customers right across the continent.

In any relationship, there is a risk of injustice whenever consequences of actions cannot be matched by accountability.  Relational leadership involves learning to factor in the wider consequences of decisions to third parties, particularly when those parties have no means of holding the leaders accountable. 

Read on...

Harvard risk consultant David Ropeik has written an insightful article on the difference between the low statistical risk of being affected by this E. coli outbreak and people’s higher perception of that risk, which has led to major economic losses to farmers.   Read the article here.

Walk the talk

We all make hasty judgments from time to time; is there someone who has ended up hurt as a result of one of your judgments, based perhaps on inaccurate information, to whom you need to apologise or make amends?

The last word
From the Bible, James chapter 1 verse 19: “Take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry...”