Knowledge is power
In 2021, Bord Bia launched the first module in its online learning hub to help farmers gain knowledge on the responsible use of antibiotics. The course was developed in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland and was primarily targeted at pig producers. Today, Bord Bia’s Farm Sustainability Learning Hub has, so far, registered almost 10,000 farmers across a range of sectors who have access to short, optional modules on topics such as farm emissions, biodoversity, energy efficiency, soil health, water quality, and animal welfare.
Rory explains: “We conduct a lot of research in terms of farmers’ attitudes towards climate action and one of the key messages we see is that farmers want to make the transition to more sustainable practices. They view themselves as custodians of the land, but they need more guidance and support. We felt it was right for us – especially with an electronic touchpoint already in place with our quality assurance schemes and with boots on the ground – to deliver this support with an online learning hub. For each new module we have reached out to other relevant stakeholders and expert agencies to help develop the courses so that we can support farmers on their journey to deliver on climate action targets and other areas of farm sustainability." Alongside working with expert bodies such as Teagasc, Bord Bia has also developed courses in conjunction with processors such as Dairygold and Kerry. “We have worked with milk processors like Dairygold and Kerry to create courses for their suppliers and that has been integrated as part of their sustainability bonus programmes – Grassroots and Evolve, respectively."
Commenting on the development of the learning hub, Rory explains that feedback has been very positive and new modules are in the pipeline: “User feedback shows that the modules have been very well received. Every farmer who completes a module gives it a rating and we are averaging 4.9 stars out of 5, with positive comments about the modules.
"We make sure the modules are very user-friendly: they average 25-30 minutes long and include video, audio, multiple-choice questions and exercises to keep our learners engaged and to ensure they can take on the key messages in an efficient way.” The overall aim, Rory says, is to keep increasing registrations to the learning platform and ultimately drive change at farm level as a result.
There are currently 13 free modules available to members of the sustainable assurance schemes for beef, lamb, dairy, pigmeat and horticulture. Below are some examples.
Energy efficiency in agriculture:
Developed by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), this module provides an introduction to energy use on the farm. The module aims to help farmers identify the key areas for energy efficiency and the activities that can be adopted to reduce energy use on farm.
Water quality: Bord Bia has worked with Teagasc to develop a concise but comprehensive module on water quality for Irish farms. Farmers will learn about the regulation and assessment of water quality in Ireland, and how agriculture affects water quality. Crucially, the module will provide users with farm-based solutions to improving water quality.
Soil health: The soil health module, developed in conjunction with Teagasc, provides information on how soil health can directly impact the performance of soil functions and shows how to assess soil health in ways such as the Soil Index System and with other biological and physical indicators.
Animal welfare: Using guidelines from Animal Health Ireland and Teagasc, Bord Bia has developed a new set of modules on animal welfare. While good stockmanship is second nature to most farmers, the modules ask farmers to consider any areas of animal welfare that may need improvement or greater consideration. The introductory module covers the key principles of animal health and welfare including animal husbandry, body condition scoring, hygiene and animal-based indicators.