Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Farm vets to launch sustainability policy
"As farm vets, we are allied to a sector that acts as guardians of the countryside" - Elizabeth Berry, BCVA president.
BCVA responds to pledges made at the COP26 conference in Glasgow.

The British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) is to launch its own Sustainability Policy in the coming weeks, calling for a bespoke on-farm approach to achieve net zero in British farming. 

The announcement follows the pledge made by world leaders at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to cut methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. 

In its response, the BCVA ‘broadly welcomes’ the commitment but questions the ‘inevitable commentary that places a disproportionate emphasis on agriculture’s role’.

The response reads: ‘Just 100 companies have been identified as the source of more than 70 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1988, and there isn’t a farm amongst them. 

‘The Carbon Majors report demonstrated that a relatively small set of fossil fuel producers hold the key to turning around the planet’s carbon emissions, yet so many headlines on this subject focus on the impact of agriculture, even though we know that in the UK our farms amount about one-tenth of UK greenhouse gas emissions – and just six per cent if only considering livestock farming.’

It continued: ‘To have conversations about sustainability that can contribute to real change, it is vital that we take an evidence-based approach – one that understands the science and realises that biogenic methane, the kind produced by cattle, is not the same as the methane produced by fossil fuels.’

The BCVA believes that efforts to reduce net-zero should take place on-farm, with a focus on health and welfare, biodiversity, soil health, water management, diffuse pollution, and social, ethical, and economic factors. 

'This must be achieved without outsourcing our environmental footprint via imports produced to lower standards, the BCVA said. 'High welfare food production and food security should remain the goal.'

BCVA president, Elizabeth Berry, said: “As farm vets, we are allied to a sector that acts as guardians of the countryside, and our farm clients understand their crucial role in the management of soil, water, nitrogen, and carbon cycles and, in turn, the biodiversity of the UK’s farmland.

“We work alongside our colleagues in UK agriculture to drive increased efficiency in both the dairy and beef sectors by providing preventive healthcare and treatment. We all share a commitment to meet welfare standards, safeguarding public health and creating an environment that meets our needs today without compromising the ability of future generations to thrive.” 

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.