How can we reliably measure and improve the welfare outcomes for livestock on farm, during transport and at slaughter?

Background

We need research to develop a world-leading resilient food and farming system which enables the sector to grow and be more productive sustainably. Research and innovation will help champion trade of British food, produced to the highest environmental and animal welfare standards, in global markets. It will also maintain food safety, providing consumers with healthy, sustainable and affordable food choices.

Next steps

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Source

This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:

DEFRA Research and innovation interests GOVUK

Related UKRI funded projects

  • STEP-UP | Sustainable Livestock Systems Transition and Evidence Platform for Upgrading Policies

    STEP UP will generate clear, unambiguous and quantitative information to support greater sustainability, viability and resilience of environmentally friendly European Livestock Production Systems (ELPS). Through state-of...

    Funded by: Horizon Europe Guarantee

    Lead research organisation: QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project focuses on sustainable livestock systems and provides clear, quantitative information to support policy makers in improving welfare outcomes.

  • Advanced Training in Intensive Livestock Health and Production

    Extensive free trade, efficient International transportation, knowledge and technology dissemination, resource and workforce costs and legislative burden make the intensive livestock (pigs and poultry) industries searing...

    Funded by: BBSRC

    Lead research organisation: Royal Veterinary College

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project partially answers the question by addressing the need for research and innovation to improve productivity and competitiveness in the livestock industry, but does not specifically mention measuring and improving welfare outcomes.

  • OPTI-BEEF: precision agricultural solution to monitor lifetime productivity and product quality

    "There is currently extensive inefficiency in the UK beef sector. Producers routinely assess the performance of their animals by eye and frequently retain them on farm too long, resulting in animals becoming too fat...

    Funded by: ISCF

    Lead research organisation: HALL MARK MEAT HYGIENE LIMITED

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project partially answers the question by aiming to develop technologies to optimize on-farm selection of animals for slaughter and carcass evaluation, but does not specifically mention measuring and improving welfare outcomes.

  • TRAnsforming the DEbate about livestock systems transformation (TRADE)

    Livestock (farmed mammalian species, poultry, and fish) has been central to UK agriculture for centuries, being culturally embedded in the popular image of national farming systems. But the sustainability of the sub sect...

    Funded by: UKRI

    Lead research organisation: University of Edinburgh

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project partially answers the question by seeking consensus on the role of livestock in the UK agricultural economy and understanding the trade-offs in transformation scenarios, but does not specifically mention measuring and improving welfare outcomes.

  • The University of Reading And FAI Farms Limited

    To develop and embed a method for assessing sustainability of livestock production systems; to test and demonstrate its application by a series of case studies....

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY OF READING

  • PrecisionBeef

    There is ever-increasing financial pressure in the UK beef sector due to volatile feed prices, consumer requirements for cheaper produce and competitive beef imports from abroad. Optimising animal productivity is critica...

    Funded by: BBSRC

    Lead research organisation: Scotland's Rural College

  • PrecisionBeef

    Optimising animal productivity is critical to maintaining a competitive and sustainable UK beef industry with production efficiency the greatest single opportunity to reduce primary production costs. There is considerabl...

    Funded by: BBSRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Strathclyde

  • Opti-Beef – Commercialisation Launch Readiness

    The OPTI-BEEF project, initiated in May 2019, was awarded substantial funding of £1.2m from UK Research and Innovation, through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. This support was part of a broader initiative ...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Lead research organisation: HALL MARK MEAT HYGIENE LIMITED

  • WELL-CALF: precision agricultural solution to improve health and productivity across the dairy-beef sector

    "This proposed project is focused on developing a precision agriculture technology solution for optimising the production efficiency of the dairy-beef sector, through improvements in health and management throughout...

    Funded by: ISCF

    Lead research organisation: CAMBRIDGE ANIMAL TECHNOLOGIES LTD

  • D-FLOWS: Data For Livestock Optimisations for Wiser Supply chains

    D-FLOWS is focused on developing an innovative solution for optimising the production efficiency of the dairy-beef sector. The solution will adopt a two-pronged approach: 1\. A novel data solution that will collect and ...

    Funded by: ISCF

    Lead research organisation: CAMBRIDGE ANIMAL TECHNOLOGIES LTD