Learn with Vet Sustain and Partners

Learning Objectives

• Describe different methods of regulation of farms around the world
• Assess different farm assurance schemes and food business standards, and identify key similarities and differences
• Describe some of the tools and schemes available to compare countries, companies and assurance schemes in terms of their support for 'Better' farming
• Demonstrate how to measure inputs and outcomes on farms - including environmental, social and animal welfare outcome measures, and the importance of using a broad selection of measures to assess the sustainability of a product or system
• Understand the influence of veterinary professionals in driving 'Better' farming, and how we can integrate sustainability metrics into a herd health plan

Learning Objectives

• Understand the evolution of farming over time, from the first to the third “green” agricultural revolutions
• Identify the positive and negative impacts of agricultural intensification on people, animals and the environment
• Define ‘efficient farming’ and ‘sustainable intensification’, and the factors that contribute to measures of efficiency
• Appreciate the key areas in which veterinary professionals can improve efficiency in any given system
• Critically appraise the evidence for efficient farming in terms of impacts on sustainability outcomes

Learning Objectives

• Describe agroecology, organic and regenerative farming in broad terms, with ‘agroecology’ encompassing all farming methods that work with nature to produce food, minimising external inputs and maximising diversity in a functional ecosystem.
• Understand the importance of soil health in sustainable food production by looking at farming systems that build a water cycle, mineral cycle, energy flow and ecosystem community dynamics.
• Appreciate the importance of human and cultural elements of agroecology, reflecting many indigenous practices that have fed communities and preserved ecosystem diversity for millennia.
• Identify the key basic principles of regenerative farming techniques and how they may be applied to different agroecological systems.
• Understand that ‘organic’ farming is differentiated from other forms of agroecology by a legally protected definition, backed up by inspection and certification, for the purpose of consumer recognition and confidence.

Learning Objectives

• Acquire a working knowledge of the range of techniques deployed in agroecological, organic and regenerative (hereafter collectively referred to as ‘nature-based’) permanent pasture agricultural systems, notably ruminant grazing strategies, non-ruminant management strategies and silvopasture. 
• Acquire a working knowledge of how livestock can be integrated into crop rotations in nature-based systems, notably cover cropping, herbal leys and pasture cropping.
• Acquire a top-line insight into some of the nature-based production systems for aquatic species.
• Understand the potential broad social and health outcomes, in association with the challenges of transition from conventional practices, of nature-based production systems for the environment, for animal health and welfare, and for human health and welfare at individual and societal levels. 

The course is aimed at veterinarians and those working in vet-led businesses, and whilst there are no specific requirements, all students are expected to have undertaken an undergraduate degree, technical qualification as a paraprofessional, or a relevant diploma. If you are unsure please contact us before you enrol on the course.

The course has been developed to provide flexible online learning for busy farm veterinary professionals, equivalent to 35 hours of CPD. Our online learning platform brings learning to life with interactive graphics and video, alongside quizzes and deep dives to consolidate learning. 

The full price of the course will be £1,250 +VAT per student. Overseas (non-UK) businesses may be eligible for a non-VAT price of £1,250, please contact us for more information.

We expect each module to take between 3 and 5hours to complete over the course of 6-9 months (there are 10 modules = up to 50 hours). In addition there are a number of deep dives and a list of further reading for those interested in a particular area or wishing to expand their knowledge further. We highly recommend diarising regular study sessions to keep progressing through the course content.

There will be a live (and recorded) tutorial with the community and course organisers at the beginning, middle and end of the course to consolidate the learning material, address specific questions and participate in discussions. Students will also join a community of veterinary professionals all taking the course at the same time, to help each other along the way.

During the course there will be tasks and quick quizzes to solidify learning throughout the course. At the end of the course, you will also be required to submit an assignment which will be reviewed by our course organisers, with either a pass or fail awarded to each student. In this assignment, you should set out how you would support a farm animal client during their transition to more sustainable ways of farming. We’re looking for evidence that you can apply your knowledge to a practical scenario - which can either be fictitious, semi-fictitious or a real-life farming client, whom you may or may not wish to engage with as part of the project. Your submission should take the form of a written report, case study or essay, of a maximum of 2500 words. Alongside your written piece, you may optionally choose to submit an audio recording, interview or video. placeholder text and put in your own