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Malnutrition and frailty affect up to one-third of community-dwelling older adults in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), burdening individuals, health systems and the economy. As these conditions are often under-recognised and untreated in the community, there is an urgent need for healthcare professionals (HCPs) from all disciplines to be able to identify and manage malnutrition and frailty in this setting. This paper describes the systematic and iterative process by which a practical guide for identifying and managing malnutrition and frailty in the community, tailored to the ANZ context, was developed. The development of the guide was underpinned by the Knowledge-to-Action Framework and included the following research activities: (1) a comprehensive literature review; (2) a survey of ANZ dietitians' current practices and perceptions around malnutrition and frailty; (3) interviews with ANZ dietitians; and (4) a multidisciplinary expert panel. This resulted in the development of a guide tailored to the ANZ context that provides recommendations around how to identify and manage malnutrition and frailty in the community. It is now freely available online and can be used by all HCPs across several settings. The approach used to develop this guide might be applicable to other conditions or settings, and our description of the process might be informative to others who are developing such tools to guide practice in their healthcare environment. Malnutrition and frailty are common in Australian and New Zealand communities, burdening individuals, health systems and the economy. This paper describes the process by which an evidence-informed guide for identifying and managing these conditions in the community was developed. The guide is now freely available online and can be used by all healthcare professionals across several settings, and our description of the process might be informative to others who are developing such tools to guide practice in their healthcare environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The aim of farm-systems research is to test concepts in a holistic context that enables results to be as applicable as possible to commercial farmers. A downside of such research has been that it can take several seasons to be confident in the consistency of the outcomes and interpretation of the results. Scientists are often reluctant to communicate outcomes until they have clear conclusions, which conflicts with farmers' desire to see rapid answers and engage with research. Aims. This paper reviews a 3-year farm-systems research project investigating flexible milking strategies for New Zealand dairy farmers. The aims of this paper are to (1) examine the impact of real-time science communication in achieving farm system change, and (2) develop a framework for science communication and engagement in adaptive farm-systems research. Methods. The project involved farmer interviews, a farmlet experiment, a component experiment, partner farms, modelling, and a farmer reference group. We use data from sources such as e-newsletter engagement, webinar participation, web-page engagement, presentation attendance, and farmer feedback to collect insights on the impact of the project. Key results. The analysis highlighted that farmers do not always seek complete information and will follow a project as it evolves, particularly when it is highly topical. We propose a framework for delivering adaptive farm systems research and communication. The framework includes the critical aspects for real-time farm-systems research: credible evidence, rapid results, inclusion of farmer voices, meaningful outcomes, flexible communication channels, iterative feedback loops, and adaptable research design. Conclusion. Farm-systems research can be designed to communicate results to farmers as a project develops, while simultaneously using the engagement with farmers to refine the direction of the research. Implications. This framework can guide scientists leading multi-year farm systems projects to design, implement, and communicate the project outcomes to improve farmer engagement and adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This perspective paper provides industry leaders, researchers and policy developers strategic approaches to ensure that the welfare of dairy cattle is protected at the same time as the industry increases its resilience to climate change. Farm systems and practices will evolve in response to the direct impacts of climate change and/or from responses to climate change, such as mitigation strategies to reduce dairy's greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. The five domains framework (nutrition, physical environment, health, behaviour, mental state) was used to assess the potential impacts on animal welfare and strategies to minimise these impacts are outlined. Given that the future climate cannot be certain these approaches can be applied under a range of emissions pathways to (1) ensure that the effects of GHG mitigations on animal welfare are considered during their development, (2) engage with end users and the public to ensure solutions to the effects of climate change and weather variability are accepted by consumers and communities, (3) identify and measure the areas where improved animal health can contribute to reducing GHG emissions from dairy production, (4) ensure those supporting farmers to develop and manage their farm systems understand what constitutes a good quality of life for dairy cattle, (5) ensure effective surveillance of animal disease and monitoring of welfare outcomes and farm-system performance in response to climate change and GHG mitigations. Overall, these strategies require a multidisciplinary co-development approach to ensure that the welfare of dairy cattle is protected at the same time as the industry increases its resilience to the wider impacts of a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]