A Veterinary Approach to Sustainable Food and Farming in Canada

Dr. Brenna Tuer is a poultry veterinarian working in Ontario, Canada. Last year she completed our e-learning course, ”A Veterinary Approach to Sustainable Food and Farming”, (delivered in partnership with Vet Sustain), to further her knowledge and help farmers achieve sustainability goals. This article outlines her final project, focused on integrating sustainability into a commercial veterinary practice.

*N.B.: To comply with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), the farm's identity has been anonymized.

How to support a farm animal client transition to more sustainable methods of farming?

Project Background

Farmer Jones, a commercial broiler poultry producer in Ontario, Canada, operates on a 100-acre farm with a 250ft x 60ft poultry barn housing approximately 20,000 broiler chickens in a 6-week cycle year-round, with 2 weeks down time between flocks. The remaining land is utilised to grow soybean and corn crops, rotated annually.

During a routine flock health check, Mr. Jones discussed the UN Sustainable Development Goals with his veterinarian, expressing concerns about the farm's longevity for future generations. He sought the veterinarian's advice to implement management changes to achieve sustainable farming goals within Canadian agricultural standards.

The Canadian poultry sector is supply-managed, meaning producers are allotted "quota" and face financial penalties for under or overproduction. The industry is not vertically integrated; each farm is independent, producing different bird sizes based on processor contracts, all aiming for efficient protein production.

Facing increased demand for chicken due to human population growth and the pressure to produce "more for less," Mr. Jones is concerned about this model's impact on his family farm. He wishes to make personal management changes to address global crises without compromising the farm's long-term viability.

Initial Discussion

The veterinary team arranged an initial farm meeting including all key stakeholders: the farm owner and family, veterinarian, chick sales representative, feed mill rep and nutritionist, financial planner, and the Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) district representative. The group discussed sustainability concerns, with Mr. Jones leading the effort to rank topics. The top three areas selected to focus on were: 1) Long-term farm profitability, 2) Reduction in GHG emissions, and 3) Improvement in on-farm biodiversity.

Goal Setting and Tracking

The veterinarian suggested utilising the three pillars of sustainability, “People, Planet, and Profit”, to help align the farm’s objectives. The group was then encouraged to come up with small and achievable outcomes, which were SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.)

Farm Walk

The team walked the land, identifying areas for improvement across the three goals:

1. Biosecurity & Maintenance: Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) recommends a 50-foot vegetation-free zone around barns to minimize wildlife and biosecurity risks. The current setup has a gravel border followed by short grass, which is frequently mown. The group proposed replacing the grass with native moss or clover. This substitution will improve water retention, reduce maintenance (less gas-powered mowing), decrease GHG emissions, and lessen farmer labour.

2. Biodiversity & Income: Poultry farm income relies on surrounding arable crops (soybeans, corn), which cannot be eliminated. However, the group suggested utilising bordering ditches to allow native vegetation to thrive. They also recommended sectioning off land-sparing space for annual biodiversity and soil surveys and hiring an environmental consultant for advice on biodiversity improvement, including managing invasive species and propagating native ones.

3. Sustainability & Profitability: Given limited available space, industry representatives suggested mounting solar panels on the poultry barn roof to significantly reduce reliance on non-renewable energy. Although installation requires upfront investment, the long-term payoff is expected to create both profitability and sustainable change. Mr. Jones will review this option with his financial consultant and industry representatives.

Action Planning

The veterinarian applied the COM-B model, recognizing the need for Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation to enable behavior change. Despite the farmer's initial desire for change, the complexity of required actions were overwhelming. A team approach, led by Mr. Jones was adopted to provide support and resources. 

A timeline with regular follow-up meetings was established to offer social support and maintain motivation through achieving small, SMART goals. Breaking down large goals into smaller steps maintained momentum, supported by regular reflection. In a non-dominant facilitator role, the veterinarian allowed the farm owner to lead the change. Regular check-ins offered the farmer a safe space to ask for help and allowed all stakeholders to re-align on long-term goals.

Mr. Jones's efforts were praised internally by veterinary staff and at a Chicken Farmers of Ontario district meeting. This motivated the veterinary staff to achieve clinic sustainability certification and initiate discussions with other local farmers on starting their own sustainability projects. What began as a personal sustainability discussion on one farm became inspired a larger community to act. 

Summary

This case study forms part of the assessment criteria on the VetSalus and Vet Sustain course “A Veterinary Approach to Sustainable Food and Farming”. To find out more about the CPD opportunities available to production animal veterinarians, please visit https://vetsalus.com/learn.