British Cattle Veterinary Association

Sustainable competitiveness is a value-adding marketing strategy. It involves a shift from farming subsidies to farming knowledge, by developing innovative knowledge-based farm production and animal health and welfare systems that provide real marketing advantages in the face of the multiplicity of economic, health, safety and environmental issues associated with prevailing farm systems. The main challenge in this endeavour, is to harness, develop and apply the large reservoir of existing knowledge in the development of regionallycustomised production and animal health systems adapted to local conditions. Education, including continuing professional development, is key to meeting the challenge of enhancing the innovation capacity of farmers and those professionals engaged in rural business and services.