A POWERFUL TOOL FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS
Farmers and ranchers can face significant challenges when transitioning to more sustainable techniques.
Little practical support or advice is currently available on alternative approaches to livestock health management—in other words, how to keep animals healthy and thriving without relying on routine medical interventions like antibiotics and pesticides. But all that’s about to change…
A GAME CHANGER
AGW’s Farm Health Online is a free website for farmers, ranchers, advisors and veterinarians, offering practical advice to support high-welfare management of food animals in outdoor systems. It’s a powerful tool, giving under-resourced farmers and ranchers the practical support and guidance they need to transition towards truly sustainable, pasture-based methods of livestock production.
Working in partnership with the UK’s Duchy College Rural Business School, Farm Health Online covers all aspects of health and welfare for cattle, sheep, poultry and pigs. With comprehensive information on over 100 common livestock diseases, advice on nutrition, housing, breeding and husbandry, as well as public health, biosecurity and legislation, Farm Health Online offers free and immediate access to practical, science-based advice on positive livestock management and sustainable farming practices.
While online advice can never replace direct support from a qualified vet, Farm Health Online provides the necessary tools and resources to help bridge the current knowledge gap, ensuring all farmers and ranchers can have informed conversations with their vets about preventative management and alternative treatments.
CONSUMERS BENEFIT, TOO!
Farm Health Online doesn’t just benefit farmers…
- Addressing Antibiotic Resistance
Routine antibiotic use on farms for disease prevention and growth promotion is leading to antibiotic resistance, and ultimately threatens our own health and food security. Farm Health Online helps farmers and ranchers move from a “treat ‘em when sick” approach to “stop ‘em getting sick in the first place!”, keeping these vital drugs for when we need them most.
- Reduce Chemical Use
Farm Health Online helps farmers and ranchers reduce reliance on other routine inputs, such as anti-parasitic and pesticide treatments, as well as other commonly used medicines. Better for animals and the environment.
- Better Animal Welfare
Encouraging a proactive approach to animal health and welfare planning, and providing conditions that enable animals to exhibit natural behaviors, results in healthier animals.
- Healthier animals = healthier people, healthier planet
At AGW, we believe the way we farm, the nutritional quality of the meat, milk and eggs produced, and the impact of farming systems on wildlife, the environment and wider society are all connected. Research shows that healthier animals mean healthier, better tasting meat, dairy and eggs!
FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS—EVERYWHERE
Farm Health Online is currently adapted for farmers in the U.S. and continental Europe. However, we are expanding the disease database and other information to include new regions and languages—the first being Africa. Stay tuned!
Find out more about Farm Health Online today: Visit farmhealthonline.com.
Support Our Work!
Farm Health Online has been generously funded by donors to AGW. But we need more support to ensure this vital website is kept up to date and will remain responsive to the ever-changing needs of sustainable livestock producers across the world. To make a donation, click here.
To discuss opportunities to fund this critical work, please contact info@agreenerworld.org.
“I believe Farm Health Online will become a great source of relevant information for many farmers. It is also useful for organic farmers, as it includes information about diseases, but does not assume a certain course of treatment will apply. As a farmer myself, I will be using the site for more information on the diseases that could affect my flock.”
— Liz Bowles, Head of Farming, Soil Association (UK)
