AQW 18710/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 11/05/2021
Answered On Date: 24/05/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline plans to further develop environmentalism in learning for the next generation of farmers, growers and agri-food personnel.

Answer:

My Department’s college, CAFRE, regularly reviews the content of its education courses in line with the requirements set by Awarding Organisations and validating universities to ensure that course content is relevant and meets the needs of the industry which graduates wish to enter, whilst supporting the delivery of my Department’s Policy objectives.

CAFRE’s curriculum has been revised to reflect an increased focus on environmentalism. The curriculum changes include a greater focus on agri-environment and sustainability across all of our existing Further and Higher Education courses as well as the recent launch of an Honours degree in Sustainable Agriculture which will take in its first group of students in September 2021.

Further development of the curriculum will take place as future policies emerge to promote environmentalism for the next generation of farmers, growers and agri-food personnel.