Press Release: Sustainability training course for farm veterinary professionals opening for registration in May

Vet Sustain and VetSalus are opening registration for the next cohort of participants on their sustainability course for farm vets and paraprofessionals on Thursday 25th May.

“A Veterinary Approach to Sustainable Food and Farming” is an online learning course designed to empower farm animal veterinarians and paraprofessionals around the world to help producers achieve multiple sustainability objectives. This unique, self-paced, 10-module course is expected to take between 6 and 9 months to complete by remote learning, and has been designed to fit around busy work and life schedules. Developed by the social enterprise Vet Sustain in partnership with VetSalus, the course will provide participants with a LANTRA-accredited certification.

Featuring referenced guides, quizzes, assignments and recommended reads, the course covers modules such as ‘The Sustainable Practitioner’, ‘Farming Systems of the World’, ‘Efficient Farming’, ‘Agro-ecology, Organic and Regenerative Agriculture’ and ‘Sustainable and Regenerative Business’. Students will join an international community of veterinary professionals all taking the course at the same time, and will be invited to attend live recorded online tutorials with the community and course organisers at the beginning, middle and end of the course. These sessions will consolidate the learning material, address specific questions and prompt discussions.

Each module features a Module Champion from Vet Sustain’s Food and Farming Working Group, who will highlight the ways in which the course content is relevant to and can be applied to veterinary work. A dedicated forum will also be available for completing tasks and discussing relevant topics with the course community.

Hannah Davies, Veterinary Clinical Teaching Fellow from the University of Surrey and Vet Sustain Technical Content Lead said of her experience on the course:

“This course is opening my eyes to the impacts that we can each make as individuals, as well as the simple conversations we can have to drive sustainability in practice/on farm. It has also helped me to understand the broader impacts of climate change that are further reaching globally which has been interesting.”

Tom Warboys, a veterinary surgeon at Synergy Farm Health who reviewed the course said:

“This course provides a fascinating, in-depth exploration of sustainable food production and the role practitioners hold in shaping our farming practices, both current and future. I found it challenging, enlightening and above all, motivating. It enables us as farm advisors to guide clients through the many changing expectations (and opportunities) within agriculture.”

The course is aimed at veterinary professionals and those working in vet-led businesses, and whilst there are no specific entry requirements, all students are expected to have undertaken an undergraduate degree, technical qualification as a paraprofessional, or a relevant diploma. The price of the course will be £1250 +VAT per student (registered overseas businesses may be eligible for a VAT exclusive price).

Enrolment opens on Thursday 25th May, with the first live tutorial scheduled Wednesday 28th June. Be the first to register your interest at learn.vetsustain.org. For any further enquiries please contact Megan Williamson [email protected].