Livestock
We aim to inspire and support change in livestock farming across the UK and internationally.
Livestock have a pivotal role to play in our ecosystem and food system. Our health is inextricably linked to animal, plant and planetary health, and here at IfA, we believe a One Health approach is the key to our future.
We facilitate the responsible use of medicines across livestock species through improvements to their health and welfare, therefore reducing the need for medicines on farms, such as antimicrobials. We are also actively working with farmers to improve welfare standards and the wellbeing of livestock on farms, which are key areas in future farming policy.
We encourage farmers to adopt and adapt Precision Livestock Farming approaches and use more data-centric decision-support systems. As an independent voice for the farming community, we can offer impartial advice where there might be multiple competing interests.
The livestock team have been at the forefront of bridging the science-practice gap and supporting practice change in farming. We are advocates of participatory approaches and facilitate a series of farmer-facing events throughout the year, such as interactive workshops, farm walks, demonstrations and national/international study tours. We promote the principles of co-design and co-development and help industries such as Agri-Tech adopt more farmer-led ways of working so new products and services benefit farmers on the ground. We are constantly horizon scanning and concentrate on the areas that will not only have the greatest impact on farming in the future but are of value and relevance to British farmers now.
We are members of RUMA, Farmer-Led Innovation Network (FLIN), Vet Sustain and the International Association of Facilitators (IAF).
