Continual Professional Development (CPD)

CPD 2021-22 – Sustainability in UK Livestock Production Systems

Monogastrics and Ruminants

The aim of FAR CPD is to build upon the knowledge feed advisers have already gained in the core modules 1-4. CPD topics provide training in areas and issues which are current in the livestock industry. Completing CPD will raise understanding and increase the professionalism of the register.

This CPD has been developed to give advisers an understanding of sustainability within the UK livestock sector and is delivered through 3 modules:

Module 1 – Introduction to Sustainability

1. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
2. The three pillars of sustainability: Economic, Environmental and Social
3. UK Targets – Government net zero, NFU net zero, air and water targets
4. UK Green recovery – broad areas
5. UK policy developments affecting feed and livestock (ELMs, Due Diligence, plastic tax etc.)

Module 2 – Sustainable UK livestock production

1. Sustainability of UK production systems
2. Using metrics to demonstrate progress - Nitrogen Use Efficiency, Farm Nutrient Balance,Feed Conversion Ratio.
3. Dispelling some myths
4. Positive messaging

Module 3 – Sustainability and Feed

1. AIC Roadmap for a Sustainable Food Chain
2. Raw material sourcing – soya and palm, the use of co-products and  former food products including the role of the United Kingdom Former Foodstuffs Processors Association (UKFFPA)
3. Responsible Sourcing Certification -the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines and the  FEMAS Responsible Sourcing Module
4. Sustainable feed manufacturing and distribution – considerations within the compound feed manufacturing process and distribution to farm
5. Sustainable use of feed on farm – preventing waste etc.
6. Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) data – Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)/Global Feed Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) Institute (GFLI) database and how to use information
7. Innovation in feed – alternative feed sources such as insect protein and opportunities to reduce a feed’s carbon footprint e.g. legumes and the development of additives to reduce emissions.

CPD 2020-21 – Managing Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) through a nutritionally balanced and sustainable livestock diet

Monogastrics and Ruminants

The aim of FAR CPD is to build upon the knowledge feed advisers have already gained in the core modules 1-4. CPD topics provide training in areas and issues which are current in the livestock industry. Completing CPD will raise understanding and increase the professionalism of the register.

Aim of CPD is to increase understanding of:

• How antimicrobial resistance has developed and why it is a problem
• The UK and EU policies developed to tackle AMR
• The role of RUMA and targets for the livestock sector
• What role good nutrition plays in the reduction of antibiotic use on farms.

Essential knowledge and skills:

1. Gain knowledge of the key definitions and terminology used within AMR work
2. Gain an understanding of how antimicrobial resistance develops, how it spreads and its importance in terms of human and animal health
3. The types of antimicrobial products used on livestock farms
4. Highest Priority – Critically Important Antibiotics (HP-CIAs)
5. The UK Policy on antimicrobial resistance and the legislative requirements, farm assurance standards and on farm best practice
6. The formation of RUMA with the targets and action plans to continue the reduction in the use of antibiotics on farm
7. The EU policy on antimicrobial resistance and how it fits with the UK policy
8. Gain an appreciation of the role and responsibility of the livestock sector in antimicrobial stewardship
9. Understand the progress made to reduce antimicrobial use in the food producing sector
10. The importance of veterinary health plans on farm and how the development of a holistic approach is important to maintain herd and flock health as one of the pillars in reducing the use of antibiotics on farm 
11. Why antibiotics are used within individual species and how disease prevention and other strategies such as good nutrition can reduce the reliance on antibiotics

The above essential skills and knowledge to be demonstrated for the livestock species each FAR adviser is qualified to deliver advice for. Separate modules have been developed for dairy, beef, sheep, pigs and poultry.

References and further reading in order of appearance in the course

1. World Health Organization
   https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance
2. British Veterinary Association’s position on responsible prescribing 
   https://www.bva.co.uk/media/1162/bva-policy-position-on-the-responsible-use-of-antimicrobials-in-food- producing-animals-executive-summary-1.pdf
3. Critically Important Antimicrobial classification
   https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/cia2017.pdf
4. European Medicines Agency classification of HPCIA 
   https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/categorisation-antibiotics-used-animals-promotes-responsible-use- protect-public-animal-health
5. Alexander Fleming paper
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2048009/
6. Beach Bums study
   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412017312345
7. Recent studies on link between humans and animal AMR 
   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29165596/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29387833/
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5414261/
8. Veterinary Medicines Directorate VARSS report 2019
   https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/909987/_1587146-v23-VARSS_2018_Report2019_-accessible.pdf
9. Food Standards Association summaries on resistance
   https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/csa-amr-report_0%20%281%29.pdf
10. Colistin resistance in China
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309915004247
11. Website to access various Reviews on AMR (i.e. O’Neill report)
    https://amr-review.org/
12. UK Government National Action Plan on AMR
    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/784894/UK_AMR_5_year_national_action_plan.pdf
13. European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC) Reports
    https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/veterinary-regulatory/overview/antimicrobial-resistance/european- surveillance-veterinary-antimicrobial-consumption-esvac
14. RUMA 
    https://www.ruma.org.uk/
15. World Organization for Animal Health 
    https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/amr/https://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Our_scientific_expertise/docs/pdf/AMR/Annual_Report_AMR_3.pdf
16. DISARM project – multi-actor farm health teams
    https://disarmproject.eu/what-we-do/farm-health-toolbox/
17. Red Tractor standards and medicine courses 
    https://assurance.redtractor.org.uk/standards/search?&p=2 
    https://assurance.redtractor.org.uk/contentfiles/Farmers-6801.pdf?_=636504999253492650
    https://assurance.redtractor.org.uk/contentfiles/Farmers-7061.pdf?_=637340337341846469
18. Antimicrobial use, pigs and medicated feed studies
    https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00861/fullhttps://porcinehealthmanagement.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40813-020-0145-6
19. The environment and AMR
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30924539/
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5088501/
20. Scotland's Healthy Animals (scotlandshealthyanimals.scot)

CPD 2019-2020 Feed Additives on Farm – Compliance with Maximum Levels

Competency requirements for Ruminants and Monogastrics, Pig and Poultry

Essential knowledge and skills

To understand all the potential sources of vitamins and trace elements that an animal consumes

1. For the feeds not directly under your control to know where to obtain estimates of the trace element and vitamin content of the products and be able to calculate how much these supply on a daily basis
2. To know where to obtain information for the daily vitamin and trace element requirements of the animals
3. To be aware of the vitamins and trace elements for which daily Maximum Permitted Levels are set
4. To be able to prepare rations that match the animals’ vitamin and trace element requirements and that do not exceed the mandatory Maximum Permitted Levels where they are set
5. To understand the potential consequences of over-supply of micronutrients with regard to the effects on animal health, consumers of animal-derived foods, users of the products and the environment
6. To have an understanding on groupings of feed additives and their function, (e.g. technological, sensory, nutritional, andzootechnical)
7. To have an understanding of dietetic feeds and their role in animal nutrition
8. To be aware of the legislation concerning feed additives and dietetics feeds

FAR CPD Year 1 Further Reading

Relevant Regulations

• Regulation 1831/2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition
• Regulation 767/2009 on the placing on the market and use of feed
• Regulation 2018/1903 correcting annexes IV, VI and VII to Regulation 767/2009 on the placing on the market and use of feed
• Directive 2008/38 establishing a list of intended uses of animal feedingstuffs for particular nutritional purposes
• Regulation 5/2014 amending Directive 2008/38
• Regulation 1123/2014 amending Directive 2008/38

Other documents

• EU Register of Feed Additives (with links to individual implementing Regulations authorising individual feed additives.
• FEFANA EU Code of Practice on Voluntary Labelling Particulars (claims) for Feed Additives and Premixtures
• ACAF Guidance Note for Supplementing Copper to Bovines
• ACAF Review of On-Farm Feeding Practices
• FEFANA – Vitamins in Animal Nutrition
• AHDB Trace Element Supplementation of Beef Cattle & Sheep
• ADAS Report on Selenium and Iodine supplementation for Breeding Ewes
• APHA Chemical Food Safety Reports – Livestock. Quarterly reports providing a summary of investigations into chemical incidents on farms to ensure the health and welfare of livestock, and food safety, is protected. Includes cases of over- supplementation with feed additives.
• Mineral Nutrition of Livestock. Suttle N F. 2010. The fourth edition of this important book covers the advances in livestock mineral nutrition, updated with more illustrations and additional material on the relationship between livestock and man. Recent developments are discussed, such as increasing the ‘mineral value’ of feeds by the use of additives and enhancing mineral availability through the use of organic sources of trace elements. The concept of the ‘mineral footprint’ of livestock production is introduced and methods of mineral feeding that lower environmental pollution are presented. Opportunities and problems in manipulating the mineral content of livestock to improve the mineral status of consumers are also addressed. The book is an essential resource for researchers and students in animal nutrition, agriculture and veterinary medicine, and a useful reference for those concerned with human nutrition and environmental protection.
• Intake of selected minerals on commercial dairy herds in central and northern England in comparison with requirements. (2014). Sinclair L.A. and Atkins N.E. Journal of Agricultural Science.
• Mineral Intake on commercial dairy farms in GB in comparison with recommended levels. (2012). Dairyco Report