"No carrot, no stick": Exploring premise identification programs across Canada

Premises Identification (PID) programs in Canada assign unique identification numbers to locations where animals, such as livestock and poultry, are kept. These programs are provincial and territorial, with a purpose of supporting various animal disease outbreaks, natural disaster emergencies, and animal traceability. While most PID programs have been operating since early 2000s, there has been no study reporting on PID programs in Canada. This qualitative study explored PID programs across Canada through the perspectives of government-employed stakeholders to (1) describe PID programs in participating Canadian provinces and territories, and (2) identify the strengths and weaknesses across PID programs. Stakeholders from nine provinces and one territory (N = 22) participated in online one-on-one interviews or focus groups. Data were analyzed inductively using codebook thematic analysis. Findings suggest that PID programs must build trust with farmers through transparent communication of intended data usage, ideally through familiar social networks. Furthermore, compliance with PID appears to be stronger when there are robust cross-compliance measures in place that have proportional incentives and enforcement measures. Programs with increased capacity and resources were better equipped to maintain data quality, which was achieved by some programs by narrowing the eligibility criteria for PID around the species of interest. This study provides valuable insights for improving the effectiveness of PID programs in Canada. Future research should explore the perspectives of other stakeholders, such as farmers eligible for the program.