What is “ACFAVM”?
You might be forgiven for not knowing – it is an organization that has worked somewhat covertly over the years (but not intentionally!).
The Association of Canadian Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine was created in 1991 to represent the collective interests of the Canadian colleges of veterinary medicine and agriculture. For most of its history, ACFAVM has operated primarily as a discussion forum, but there is a growing feeling among the current Deans that we could be doing more to raise the profile of colleges of agriculture and veterinary medicine at the national level.
And why shouldn’t we blow our own horns? Together these faculties, located in eleven universities and eight provinces across Canada, form the backbone for innovation, human capacity building, and sustainable economic development as it pertains to food, human and animal health, and the environment.
The Ontario Veterinary College and the Ontario Agricultural College are of course active members of ACFAVM. In the past year the organization has sought to define its mission and become more effective. This was the thrust of our meeting in Saskatoon last week, hosted by ACFAVM President Mary Buhr, Dean of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan. It was coupled with a thought-provoking Mindshare event on Securing Canada’s Food Future The Role of Science in Food Security.
Some of the ways ACFAVM members feel we can be more effective include: helping build government and industry consensus for areas of increased investment in agriculture, veterinary and food research and innovation; promoting the career potential for graduates of agriculture and veterinary medicine, as well as our role in job creation; and bringing expertise to issues such as changing standards in animal welfare, the effects of climate change, antimicrobial resistance and risks to humans from livestock practices, and environmental degradation.
This is particularly timely given that food is becoming such a central focus for governments, the public, and indeed the University of Guelph. The topic of food (domestic and international food sustainability and security) directly ties together many traditional and current veterinary and agricultural issues, but also touches on wildlife, biodiversity, social concerns such as aboriginal issues, job growth, translational research, science, innovation and international competitiveness, as well as emergency preparedness.
We are all about answering questions like: where will our food come from? Is it safe? How will we sustainably feed 9 billion people who need and deserve safe and nutritious food choices?
Increasingly ACFAVM has been seen as a place to go for governments to consult on issues of shared interest. For instance, ACFAVM has been in active consultation around the upcoming new agricultural policy framework which will likely roll out next spring and will be key to federal funding of agricultural research and innovation.
As a result of our recent meetings we will be working to set organizational priorities for the next one to two years, and communicating them to our stakeholders. I would be very interested to hear your thought on ways in which we ACFAVM can advocate for you. And maybe you can help us come up with a less awkward acronym!