Dairy Care A COST Action in dairy animal

Dairy. Care A COST Action in dairy animal welfare Prof Chris Knight University of Copenhagen chkn@sund. ku. dk 1

Background and context • Milk is produced in every single EU Member State without exception. • Milk is the EU number one single product sector…. . at approximately 15 % of agricultural output. • The EU dairy herd has been decreasing steadily during the last years, as milk yield per cow has improved. • Farm and dairy herd sizes vary enormously…. (BUT) • …as the dairy sector develops…less developed dairy producers are rapidly catching up with those who had restructured and modernized From http: //ec. europa. eu/agriculture/milk/

Background and context • Summary: Higher yielding cows and bigger, more technological dairy farms requiring higher level management • Currently hindered by technology fragmentation and lack of key technology uptake • Example: mastitis detection Effective technologies that assist good husbandry are urgently needed

Key objectives • To improve the wellbeing of dairy cows through two mechanisms: – Accelerated development and application of relevant biotechnologies that will assist and promote good husbandry – Wider dissemination of best-practices

Key deliverables • Novel biotechnologies for: – – Automated monitoring of dairy cow wellbeing Automated detection of sub-clinical problems (eg SARA) Automated monitoring of feeding behaviour Automated detection of lameness • Tailored ”smart” husbandry support systems for automated herd management • Dairy. Care ”Blueprint for Action” Knowledge translated into effective decision-making

Key scientific focus • • Novel non-invasive welfare biomarkers Novel milk metabolomic health analysis Novel activity-based welfare and health technologies Novel biologic and teleonomic data acquisition, processing and modelling to deliver integrated decision making tools Novel and realistic sensing and integration technologies

Why COST? • Opportunity to co-ordinate and obtain added-value from ongoing research – ERA Net ICT Agri (4 relevant projects, including Dairy ICT) – EU FP 7 EU-PLF (also Pro. Health, All-Smart-Pigs) – Marie Curie: Bio. Business – National projects – COST FAP – Co-Lact Nordforsk researcher network • Need for multi-disciplinary, cross-regional, trans-sectoral activities • Opportunity to benefit from diverse range of skillsets and knowledge bases

Key impacts • Dairy. Care will deliver improved local and global competitiveness for EU industries • For EU dairy farmers and consumers: – Optimised welfare will maximise milk value and deliver added value along the food chain – Automated sensing and clear, simple decision tools will enable economies of scale and solve the problem of husbandry dilution • For EU biotechnology and engineering industries: – Novel products will be developed for the global market • Dairy. Care will deliver improved herd management, hence reducing waste and emissions and increasing sustainability Increased competitiveness in global food security

Key mechanisms • Having the best and most relevant: – Partners – Skills and disciplines – Structures • Scientific • Organisational – Scientific Activities – Dissemination Activities – Communication

Partners • • Scientific partners from 24 COST countries Experts from 4 non-COST countries Cattle feedstuffs companies Cattle breeding companies Dairy engineering companies Dairy consultancies and advisors Dairy farmers Consumer organisations Excellent academic: industry balance (2: 1)

Skills and disciplines • • • Animal scientists Nutritionists Veterinarians Geneticists Ethologists Electronics engineers Engineers Computer scientists Data analysts/Mathematicians Economists • • • Physiology Metabolomics Proteomics Genomics Behavioural science Systems science Biological modelling Bioethics Socioeconomics

Structures: Scientific WG 1 WG 2 Biomarker-based welfare technologies WG 3 Activity-based welfare technologies System-level welfare technologies Early-Stage Researcher Forum

Scientific Activities Kick-off Meeting Implementation plan Networking Conference STSM ESRs in focus: Target of 10 -15 STSM/yr, ESRs help make decisions Draft Blueprint Final Conference Blueprint For Action

Action-specific deliverables Deliverable Implementation Plan Website created Year 1 X Networking Conference Report X Journal of Dairy Research special issue STSM Reports Dairy. Care Blueprint for Action X Research Training Manual Best Practice Manuals Social Media and Video Reports Year 2 X X X Year 3 Year 4 X X X X X X X X

Structures: Chris Knight, DK Rupert Bruckmaier, CH 2 delegates per country Action Chair STSM co-ordinators Chair VC Marcela Speranda, HR WG 1 Biomarker-based Welfare Technologies VC Lena Lidfors, SE Gerardo Caja, ES Dissemination co-ordinator Action Steering Group Sigrid Agenas, SE Gianfranco Gabai, IT Organisational Management Committee Vivi Thorup, FR Chair VC Lene Munksgaard, DK WG 2 Activity-based Welfare Technologies Jon Moorby, UK Chair VC Ivan Andonovic, UK WG 3 System-level Welfare Technologies Marta Brsic Chair VC Annelies van Nuffel Early Stage Researcher Forum

Structures: Support Action Steering Group COST Brussels Secretariat Overall administration where COST office is involved Action Central Secretariat Scientific administration (including meeting programme and registrations) Local Meeting Secretariat Domestic arrangements at meetings

Dissemination Activities • Website: open access pages • Research Training Workshops at year 2 and 4, informed by Implementation Plan and ESR Forum, tailored to ESRs • Best Practice Workshops, years 2, 3 & 4, tailored to endusers • Educational Outreach through existing Erasmus Mundus MSc educations, tailored to next generation scientists • Published Networking Conference Proceedings (including some as special issues of Journal of Dairy Research) • Peer reviewed and industry-ready publications/reports • Dairy. Care ”Blueprint for Action” European Cattle Innovation Partnership (EU Levy bodies: 9 M cows)

Communication • Dedicated website www. dairycareaction. org – – – – Public access pages Subscription-only pages Partner publications Reports News File and data sharing capability Links to other relevant Actions and to related scientific organsiations/events • Presence at relevant scientific meetings • Social and video networking