The ClearFarm project: developing a platform to assess animal welfare using sensor technology in pigs and dairy cattle

Current animal welfare assessment tools rely on temporary and manually recordings. Precision livestock farming (PLF)-technology allows to monitor all kinds of livestock phenotypical outcomes, generating large data sets that can be used to assess farm animal welfare throughout the production chain. ClearFarm is a four-year H2020 project that aims at developing a platform integrating animal-based data from PLF technology through a blockchain approach. Continuous and systematic recording of animal-based meta data (aggregated sensor data and algorithmic indicators) using existing PLF sensors is combined with intelligent algorithms to detect generic assessment of animal welfare, taking the individual as its own control. Generic measures include deviations from normal behaviour patterns, early warning signals for health issues, and a ratio of positive over negative experiences. Welfare assessment data is combined with additional records (i.e. herd management software) and stored in a block chain backed store. A platform backend integrating the welfare indicators feeds a front-end distributing welfare information of pigs and dairy cows to interested stakeholders (producers and consumers). A cloud based and modular design allows integrating newly developed solutions to monitor animal welfare, providing an unprecedented granularity of data improving transparency and reusability of the data. The front-end solution for farmers, retailers and other intermediate stakeholders will be based on an interactive platform, whereas consumers can be informed through a digital labelling solution. During the ClearFarm project the platform is technically validated in real facilities within pig and cattle value chains. This project provides an understanding of animal welfare at an unprecedented level that will potentially assist producers to optimize their production and inform consumers about the welfare background of animal products.