NIVA gala dinner: A celebration of the role of the veterinaryorofession in sustainable food production

While diners at Magheramorne Estate enjoyed an impressive selection of some of the finest food Northern Ireland has to offer, they paused between courses to digest a series of inspiring and motivational talks by world leaders in this field.

Speakers included Dr Sue Paterson MA VetMB DVD DipECVD FRCVS (President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons); Fergal Morris MVB MBA MRCVS (General Manager MSD Animal Health Ireland); Professor John Gilliland OBE Dsc (farmer, Professor of Practice in Agriculture and Sustainability at Queen’s University Belfast, and chair of ARC Zero); Professor Jude Capper PhD DSc (h.c.) BSc (Hons) ARAgS (ABP Chair of Sustainable Beef and Sheep Production at Harper Adams University); and Lance Woods BSc Agr MBA NSch (MSD Animal Health).

The talks were detailed and technical but some of the key messages that the audience heard included:

n Globally, at least 20 per cent of animal protein production is lost due to animal diseases (OIE, 2015) which is inherently unsustainable.

n Data analysis is improving, and many endemic diseases have been demonstrated to have specific detrimental effects on both productivity and greenhouse gas emissions.

n There are many diseases for which effective preventative strategies or curative treatments have already developed, but which have not been adopted worldwide due to economic, infrastructural, regulatory, or political disconnects.

n Advances in animal health care are prioritising improved disease prevention and early diagnosis, as well as better welfare and animal resilience.

n Producing more from less is a necessity not only from the point of view of reducing gas emissions but also from the perspective of local and global food security.

n 60 per cent of the world’s biodiversity is in the soil and this needs nurtured.

n Daily live weight gain can be significantly improved by including herbs and legumes in the sward (17 per cent in beef and up to 32 per cent in lamb).

n The RCVS is mandating that all vet practices under the Practice Standards Scheme will require a sustainability policy, including minimising use of anti-microbials, use of volatile anaesthetics, and waste generally.

n Dr Sue Paterson emphasised the need for ‘less and better’ consumption of animal products as part of our achieving a sustainable future.

n There are good examples of modern-day animal health technologies such as MSD SenseHub and MSD DNA TraceBack which facilitate better animal husbandry and improve overall health and wellbeing. These technologies contribute to a better life for every animal, reduced carbon emissions, a better-quality end product and ultimately fewer animals needed to meet the demands of the consumer.

n John Gilliland closed his speech with an appeal to vets to work with farmers to understand and process new information. The farming community locally and globally is facing a period of unprecedented challenge, and it is in all our interests that it emerges at the other side.

The key message throughout the evening was that the veterinary profession has a clear and trusted dual responsibility for animal welfare: to protect and promote the welfare of animals under veterinary care, while also stimulating broader societal change to address the root causes of poor welfare. With this stance, NIVA is at the forefront of advocating for ethically sustainable animal agriculture.

Speakers presented a clear focus on the pivotal role that innovative animal health products and veterinarians play, alongside farmers, in animal welfare. They highlighted the balancing act of ensuring strict biosecurity and employing necessary disease control measures, while defending a healthy microbiome (both in the animals and in the soil beneath their feet) and ensuring wider animal welfare needs are met.

Highlighting the importance of animal welfare within sustainable farming, Esther Skelly-Smith, President of NIVA, said: “Animal welfare is recognised today as a key pillar of sustainable food production, and a focus on animal welfare must be an important part of Northern Ireland’s endeavours to implement sustainable farming systems.

"As NIVA moves forward, our focus will be on exploring the connections between animal welfare, animal health, and the environment to support the development of a resilient and sustainable farming system.”

The Allen family at Magheramorne Estate outdid themselves to produce a true showcase of the very best of Northern Irish food and drink.

Ingredients were sponsored by ABP; Dale Farm; Longbridge Drinks Co; Silverhill Duck; Studio Linton; Symphonia Gin; and Ulster Beekeepers Association.