20/ JULY/AUGUST 2024 THE RIDER


OFA Viewpoint: Scholarships, bursaries available for careers in agriculture


By Andrea McCoy-Naperstkow, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Two topics often make


headlines when it comes to agri- culture – the relatively high aver- age age (56) of Canada’s farmers and the ongoing labour shortage that makes it hard to attract enough workers to fill the many positions available throughout the food system. Current research suggests


the worker shortage in agriculture could reach 123,000 by 2030, be- cause of older workers retiring and the expected continued growth of the sector. I’m both a farmer – my hus-


band and I raise cattle and grow crops in the Eastern Ontario county of Lanark – and a profes- sor at Algonquin College’s Perth Campus, where I teach agricul- tural business. That means I un- derstand firsthand how important it is for our industry to encourage the next generation to choose a career in agriculture, whatever that might look like. Traditionally, that has often


meant on-farm jobs working with livestock or growing crops, but today, pursuing a career in agri- culture offers a wide range of fas- cinating


and fulfilling


opportunities. Beyond the farm, which I


personally know can be a reward- ing and fulfilling way of life, the career possibilities range from re- search, equipment maintenance, quality control, food safety, and construction to transportation, processing, product development, marketing, sales, business and be- yond.


That’s before we include


emerging fields like robotics, au- tomation, artificial intelligence or gene editing, to name just a few, all of which offer exciting new potential for farming and food production. As a professor, I also know


how hard today’s students have to work at their education. It’s an expensive undertaking and many of the students I teach balance their course load with employ- ment to put themselves through school. That’s why scholarships and


bursaries are important – and why I’m proud of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), where I serve as a board member, for actively supporting young people who wish to work in our sector. One way the OFA does this


is through our province-wide bur- sary program, which offers $2,000 each to three students in undergraduate programs studying agriculture, as well as to someone completing an apprenticeship and to an individual enrolled in a post-graduate or leadership de- velopment program. Applicants are judged based


on demonstrated leadership skills, involvement in the com- munity, and their accomplish- ments in both school and the agriculture industry. The deadline to apply for this year’s OFA bur- saries is August 31, with full de- tails available at ofa.on.ca. There are also substantial


scholarships and bursaries for higher education offered by many of the OFA’s county and regional federations, as well as other agri- cultural organizations like Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Ottawa


Valley Seed Growers, 4-H, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Pro- cessing Vegetable Growers and many others. Depending on the award,


funds can be used to help pay for things like tuition, textbooks, housing and other educational ex- penses. Deadlines and criteria vary, but a full list of available opportunities can be found on the OFA’s website. By investing in these types


of opportunities, we are support- ing future generations and offer- ing a hand up to the young people who are looking to follow in the footsteps of those of us who have made our livelihoods in the agri- culture industry – whether they come from a farming background or not.


Many of the big issues fac-


ing the world today, from climate change and emissions to food se- curity and soil health, are com- plex but they have a connection to agriculture in that we are both impacted by them and can offer solutions for improvement. There are no easy answers,


so we need talented, smart, and enthusiastic people with fresh ideas and new perspectives to join our industry and help make a positive difference for our world. If you know a young person


who is returning to school in the fall, just starting into post-sec- ondary education for the first time or considering their career options as they near the end of their high school career, encour- age them to take a look at the op- portunities agriculture can offer – and the support that’s available to help them achieve their goals in this industry.


Supporting a Good Life for Horses The Fédération Equestre


Internationale (FEI) Sports Forum held in Lausanne at the end of April featured a major focus on welfare of the competi- tion horse through the presenta- tion of the findings of the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commis- sion’s final report (EEWC). This came hot on the heels of the 19th International Society for Equi- tation Science (ISES) annual conference held in New Zealand in March 2024. Three of the external mem-


bers of the EEWC are long stand- ing members and Honorary Fellows of ISES. At the ISES an- nual conference, 60 research pre- sentations covered topics of direct relevance to the FEI’s ac- tion plan to ensure a Good Life for Horses in sport. Thanks to the many sponsors, including the FEI as the technology sponsor, these presentations were made avail- able to delegates around the world.


At the Sports Forum the


FEI provided an overview of their proposed action plan to ad- dress six priority areas of focus raised in the EEWC’s final re- port. Much of the research ad- dressing concerns in the six priority areas – specifically Pri- ority Area 1 (Tack, equipment, riding and training) and Priority Areas 2 and 4 (physical and emo- tional stress in horses and the other 23 hours of the horse’s life) – has been carried out over the past 20 years by researchers who are members of ISES. [ISES] urges the FEI to


make good use of the existing ev- idence in making rigorous deci- sions in favour of the horse, and adopting the precautionary prin- ciple… ISES commends the FEI


for adopting the 5 domains as the underpinning framework for their welfare strategy and is pleased to learn of the evidence- based approach being taken to examine the impact of tack and equipment and training methods on horses. We urge the FEI to make good use of the existing ev- idence in making rigorous deci- sions in favour of the horse, and adopting the precautionary prin- ciple to ensure that welfare risks to horses are minimized where the research is not conclusive. We suggest that to make good de- cisions regarding equine wellbe- ing it is important to involve independent researchers with equine behaviour and welfare ex- pertise, such as that provided by behavioural scientists about hy- perflexion. In addition, we urge the FEI to remember that knowl- edge gained through scientific re- search is always progressing – what was normal and accepted previously may not be the case now. ISES has provided feedback on noseband tightness based on extensive research carried out by qualified experts, and we hope that this information will be taken into account in delibera- tions regarding measurement of noseband pressure. In the same vein there have been many stud- ies on bit design, bit use and most importantly horse behaviour and


welfare – we urge the FEI to pay attention to these when consider- ing Priority Focus Area 1. We remind the FEI that


maintaining a social license to operate relies on establishing and maintaining trust. A key recom- mendation of the EEWC’s to en- sure horse welfare is ongoing transparency and accountability. In support of the EEWC, ISES believes that an independent ‘voice for the horse’ must be pri- oritized in all FEI decision mak- ing. This, alongside acceptance and actioning of the EEWC’s recommendation for ensuring on- going independent review via the establishment of a permanent equine ethics and welfare advi- sory committee, will help reas- sure equestrians and the public of the FEI’s commitment to equine welfare going forward. ISES looks forward to hear-


ing about further actions from the FEI to address an ‘equine centric design approach’ for all events and how horse interests will be placed before those of the human when involved in sport. The International Society


for Equitation Science (ISES) is a not-for-profit organization that aims to promote and encourage the application of objective re- search and advanced practice which will ultimately improve the welfare of horses in their as- sociations with


humans.


https://www.equitationscience.co m/


Source: International Society for Equitation Science (ISES)


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