81

The aim of sanitary qualification of farm animals is to implement collective strategies to control the spread of infectious diseases. More specifically, it seeks to establish objectively and accurately the status of an animal or animal population, which will be used for animal exchange and trading, with regard to a given infectious disease. The approach is based upon biological knowledge about the infectious agent including infection process and detection means. In addition, mathematical modelling, statistics and probability tools allow integrating these pieces of knowledge as well as taking into account uncertainty and the variability of biological parameters. Finally, Social and Human sciences, and particularly economics and sociology provide an understanding of stakes, social representations, and points of view of individuals and groups, in order to study the demand and acceptability of sanitary qualification for a given infectious disease. In this approach, each discipline contributes its own standpoint on the underlying question of risk. This interdisciplinary approach requires co-constructing the research topic and stepping beyond epistemological and cultural differences between disciplines. Furthermore, designing a qualification results from a collective social construction. It does not solely obey rationality based on science and regulation needs; it includes necessarily both scientific and common knowledge and is dependant upon various political decisions that can lead to consensus or contradiction.