Former chief vet joins Ruma

Prof Gibbens will take a position on the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance’s (Ruma) Independent Scientific Group following his retirement from Defra.

He joins well-known poultry vet Daniel Parker, a lecturer at Cambridge University Veterinary School, amongst other academics, vets and technical experts.

The group offers insights and recommendations for Ruma policy development.

He said of his appointment: “The UK livestock sectors are to be congratulated for responding to the challenge of antimicrobial resistance, especially in working with the Targets Task Force to set challenging targets for antibiotic use through to 2020.

“Delivering those targets is going to rest on the principle of rearing healthier, more resilient animals. This means that while antimicrobial resistance is an important threat, tackling it is also a significant opportunity to make long term sustainable changes which could raise UK farm animal health and welfare to a new level.”