Search Results (183)

Cybersecurity represents a critical challenge for data-sharing platforms involving multiple stakeholders, particularly within complex and decentralized systems such as livestock supply chain networks. These systems demand novel approaches, robust security protocols, and advanced data management strategies to address key challenges such as data consistency, transparency, ownership, controlled access or exposure, and privacy-preserving analytics for value-added services. In this paper, we introduced the Framework for Livestock Empowerment and Decentralized Secure Data eXchange (FLEX), as a comprehensive solution grounded on five core design principles: (i) enhanced security and privacy, (ii) human-centric approach, (iii) decentralized and trusted infrastructure, (iv) system resilience, and (v) seamless collaboration across the supply chain. FLEX integrates interdisciplinary innovations, leveraging decentralized infrastructure-based protocols to ensure trust, traceability, and integrity. It employs secure data-sharing protocols and cryptographic techniques to enable controlled information exchange with authorized entities. Additionally, the use of data anonymization techniques ensures privacy. FLEX is designed and implemented using a microservices architecture and edge computing to support modularity and scalable deployment. These components collectively serve as a foundational pillar of the development of a digital product passport. The FLEX architecture adopts a layered design and incorporates robust security controls to mitigate threats identified using the STRIDE threat modeling framework. The evaluation results demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness in countering well-known cyberattacks while fulfilling its intended objectives. The performance evaluation of the implementation further validates its feasibility and stability, particularly as the volume of evidence associated with animal identities increases. All the infrastructure components, along with detailed deployment instructions, are publicly available as open-source libraries on GitHub, promoting transparency and community-driven development for wider public benefit. Full article

Driven by climate change and stringent ecological conservation policies, arid and semi-arid pastoral areas face acute grassland degradation and forage–livestock imbalances. In Sunan County (Gansu Province, China), herders have increasingly turned to off-site grazing—leasing crop fields in adjacent oases during autumn and winter—to alleviate local grassland pressure and adapt their livelihoods. However, the interplay between the evolving land use system (L) and this emergent borrowed pasture system (B) remains under-explored. This study introduces a coupled analytical framework linking L and B. We employ multi-temporal remote sensing imagery (2018–2023) and official statistical data to derive land use dynamic degree (LUDD) metrics and 14 indicators for the borrowed pasture system. Through entropy weighting and a coupling coordination degree model (CCDM), we quantify subsystem performance, interaction intensity, and coordination over time. The results show that 2017 was a turning point in grassland–bare land dynamics: grassland trends shifted from positive to negative, whereas bare land trends turned from negative to positive; strong coupling but low early coordination (C > 0.95; D < 0.54) were present due to institutional lags, infrastructural gaps, and rising rental costs; resilient grassroots networks bolstered coordination during COVID-19 (D ≈ 0.78 in 2023); and institutional voids limited scalability, highlighting the need for integrated subsidy, insurance, and management frameworks. In addition, among those interviewed, 75% (15/20) observed significant grassland degradation before adopting off-site grazing, and 40% (8/20) perceived improvements afterward, indicating its potential role in ecological regulation under climate stress. By fusing remote sensing quantification with local stakeholder insights, this study advances social–ecological coupling theory and offers actionable guidance for optimizing cross-regional forage allocation and adaptive governance in arid pastoral zones. Full article

Designing sustainable farming systems in mountainous regions is particularly challenging because of complex economic, social, and environmental factors. Production models prioritizing sustainability and environmental protection require integrated assessment methodologies that can address multiple criteria and incorporate diverse stakeholders’ perspectives while ensuring accuracy and applicability. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and multi-actor multi-criteria analysis (MAMCA) are two complementary approaches that support “eco-design” strategies aimed at identifying the most sustainable options, including on-farm transformation processes. This study presents an integrated application of LCA and MAMCA to four supply chains: rye bread, barley beer, cow cheese, and goat cheese. The results show that cereal-based systems have lower environmental impacts than livestock systems do, although beer’s required packaging significantly increases its footprint. The rye bread chain emerged as the most sustainable and widely preferred option, except under high-climatic risk scenarios. In contrast, livestock-based systems were generally less favorable because of greater impacts and risks but gained preference when production security became a priority. Both approaches underline the need for a deep understanding of production performance. Future assessments in mountain contexts should integrate logistical aspects and cooperative models to enhance the resilience and sustainability of short food supply chains. Full article

Artificial intelligence and bioacoustics represent a paradigm shift in non-invasive poultry welfare monitoring through advanced vocalization analysis. This comprehensive systematic review critically examines the transformative evolution from traditional acoustic feature extraction—including Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs), spectral entropy, and spectrograms—to cutting-edge deep learning architectures encompassing Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, attention mechanisms, and groundbreaking self-supervised models such as wav2vec2 and Whisper. The investigation reveals compelling evidence for edge computing deployment via TinyML frameworks, addressing critical scalability challenges in commercial poultry environments characterized by acoustic complexity and computational constraints. Advanced applications spanning emotion recognition, disease detection, and behavioral phenotyping demonstrate unprecedented potential for real-time welfare assessment. Through rigorous bibliometric co-occurrence mapping and thematic clustering analysis, this review exposes persistent methodological bottlenecks: dataset standardization deficits, evaluation protocol inconsistencies, and algorithmic interpretability limitations. Critical knowledge gaps emerge in cross-species domain generalization and contextual acoustic adaptation, demanding urgent research prioritization. The findings underscore explainable AI integration as essential for establishing stakeholder trust and regulatory compliance in automated welfare monitoring systems. This synthesis positions acoustic AI as a cornerstone technology enabling ethical, transparent, and scientifically robust precision livestock farming, bridging computational innovation with biological relevance for sustainable poultry production systems. Future research directions emphasize multi-modal sensor integration, standardized evaluation frameworks, and domain-adaptive models capable of generalizing across diverse poultry breeds, housing conditions, and environmental contexts while maintaining interpretability for practical farm deployment. Full article

In the Netherlands, around 52,000 dairy cows die on the primary farm each year due to natural death, euthanasia, or on-farm emergency slaughter (OFES). The decision as to what is the best option is made by the farmer, often after consulting a veterinarian, a livestock trader, or a slaughterhouse operator. To determine which factors play a role in this decision-making process, semi-structured interviews were conducted with dairy farmers, private veterinary practitioners, livestock traders, and slaughterhouse operators in the Netherlands. Dairy cattle culling decisions are influenced and limited by strict enforcement of livestock transport regulations and limited options for on-farm killing methods. Requirements regarding mortality rates imposed by the dairy industry and private quality labels for raw milk also influence culling decisions in the Netherlands. Most participants stated that restrictive conditions regarding OFES and mobile slaughterhouses (MSHs) appear to have (unintended) negative effects on cow welfare and meat salvage in general. Different interests, such as cow welfare, food safety, economic concerns of various stakeholders, the reputational interests of the dairy and beef industries, and sustainability objectives such as meat salvage can be conflictive. The results of this study show that the decision-making process regarding culling or (prolonged) veterinary treatment of dairy cattle is complex because various factors, interests, and uncertainties must be weighed. This weighing can vary between individual dairy farms and individual dairy farmers. Full article

Ethiopian pastoralist communities are facing a recurrent drought crisis that significantly affects the availability of water and pasture resources for communities dependent on livestock. The increasing intensity, duration and frequency of droughts in the pastoral community in Ethiopia have drawn the attention of multiple stakeholders and increased stakeholder debates on the role of early warning systems (EWSs) for anticipatory action to build climate resilience in the pastoral community. The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), in collaboration with various partners, has developed an interactive web-based digital EWS to provide near real-time information on water and pasture conditions in pastoral and agro-pastoral regions of Ethiopia. In this study, a stakeholder analysis was conducted to identify key stakeholders, understand stakeholder needs, and facilitate collaboration towards sustaining the EWS. The stakeholder analysis revealed the roles and information needs of key actors engaged in livestock water and pasture monitoring and early warning systems aimed at improving the pastoral communities’ resilience. The analysis showed a pressing need for access to real-time information on water and pasture availability and seasonal climate forecasts by local communities for effective and optimal resources management. Local and national governments need similar data for evidence-based decision-making in resource allocation and policy development. International and non-governmental organizations (INGOs) require the same information for efficient humanitarian responses and targeted development interventions. The private sector seeks insights into market dynamics to better align production strategies with community needs. An EWS serves as a vital tool for development partners, facilitating improved planning, coordination, and impact assessment. It also emphasizes the importance of proactive collaboration among stakeholders, including local communities, government bodies, INGOs, and academic and research institutions. Enhanced communication strategies, such as partnerships with local media, are essential for timely information dissemination. Ultimately, sustained collaboration and adaptive strategies are crucial for optimizing the impact of an EWS towards improving the livelihoods and resilience of pastoral communities amid climate variability. Full article

This study investigates the hydrological, ecological, and socio-economic responses of Ugii Lake—a freshwater body in semi-arid Central Mongolia—to climate variability and anthropogenic pressures. Seasonal field surveys conducted during the spring, summer, and fall of 2023–2024 revealed notable spatial and temporal variation in water quality, with pH ranging from 7.54 to 8.87, EC from 316 to 645 µS/cm, and turbidity between 0.36 and 5.76 NTU. Total dissolved solids (TDS) values and ionic compositions indicated increased salinization in some zones, particularly those exposed to high evaporation and shoreline disturbance. Heavy metal analysis identified elevated levels of aluminum, manganese, and zinc at several sampling points; however, concentrations generally remained within national environmental standards. Vegetation surveys showed that disturbed areas—especially those affected by grazing and tourism—exhibited reduced native plant diversity and dominance of invasive species. Socio-economic interviews with local herders and stakeholders indicated that 67.3% of households experienced declining livestock productivity, and 37.1% reported increased allergies or respiratory symptoms linked to deteriorating environmental conditions. Despite some ongoing conservation efforts, respondents expressed dissatisfaction with enforcement and impact. These findings highlight the need for community-driven, integrated lake management strategies that address environmental degradation, climate adaptation, and rural livelihood security. Full article

Goat farming represents a critical component of rural livelihoods, food security, and cultural heritage in southeastern Tunisia. This study adopts a multi-stakeholder approach to analyze the goat value chain in Tataouine, incorporating focus groups, semi-structured questionnaires, and direct observations with 80 farmers, 3 veterinarians, 13 butchers, and 100 consumers. The findings reveal strong local demand, with 72% of consumers purchasing goat meat and 66% consuming milk. However, significant inefficiencies exist, particularly a misalignment between production and market requirements: while 92% of butchers prefer fattened animals, only 16% of farmers engage in fattening practices. Women constitute 49% of dairy processors, yet face persistent resource constraints. Climate pressures exacerbate these challenges, with 80% of farmers reporting water scarcity and 93.8% observing pasture degradation. Three strategic interventions emerge as pivotal for sustainable development: targeted support for feed-efficient fattening techniques, establishment of women-led dairy processing collectives, and implementation of climate-resilient water management systems. These measures address core constraints while leveraging existing strengths of the production system. The study presents a transferable framework for livestock value chain analysis in arid regions, demonstrating how integrated approaches can enhance both economic viability and adaptive capacity while preserving traditional pastoral systems. Full article

Between 2006 and 2010, northwestern Europe experienced its first significant bluetongue virus (BTV) outbreak, driven by the spread of BTV-8, which had major repercussions on the European livestock sector. While BTV-3 was first identified in Europe in Italy in 2017, a new introduction of the virus was reported in 2023, in the Netherlands, and subsequently spread rapidly across the continent. A limited number of BTV-3 outbreaks were notified in Belgium in 2023, leading to the loss of its BTV-free status. In the following year, 2024, the virus spread throughout the country in a short time period. This study describes the impact of BTV-3 circulation in Belgium in 2024, detailing both its geographic spread and the associated increase in mortality, reduced births recorded, and decline in milk production among ruminants. Furthermore, preliminary results on the effectiveness of field vaccination and maternal immunity transfer are presented, as well as critical gaps that hinder the development of a robust, evidence-based management strategy. As the epidemiological situation is expected to become more complex in the future, due to the co-circulation of multiple BTV serotypes and other Culicoides-borne diseases, such as EHDV, effective collaboration and communication among stakeholders and international authorities will be crucial for implementing measures to mitigate the spread of these diseases. Full article

Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock drives antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR has a significant impact on public health. While several interventions have been used to address this challenge, few have utilized Information and Communication Technology (ICT) approaches. The objective of this study was to pilot and assess an ICT system to monitor the use of veterinary drugs and disseminate information to farmers in peri-urban smallholder poultry systems in Kenya. Methods: The system was developed in collaboration with the stakeholders. It captures drug sales in veterinary pharmacies and disease incidence and treatments reported by farmers. The system was piloted from May 2023 to December 2023. Monthly follow-ups were conducted to monitor progress and address problems. Assessment was performed through focus group discussions with the users (two with farmers and two with veterinary pharmacy staff) and descriptive statistics of the data collected by the system. Results: A total of 15,725 records were obtained from veterinary pharmacies, including antibiotics (57%), dewormers (22%), and vitamins (11%). Requests for a specific product were recorded in 38% of the sales, while 63% were accompanied by some evidence (empty drug containers, old packages, old prescriptions, pictures of sick birds, and actual sick birds). A total of 91 records were obtained from the farmers. The health problems reported were mostly respiratory (40%) and digestive (30%) disorders. The percentage of customers who requested advice on animal health when visiting veterinary pharmacies ranged from 5 to 20%. Conclusions: AMU can be improved in the study area. The piloted system may help policymakers monitor the sales and usage of antibiotics, improve animal health management, and promote responsible AMU. Full article

Social conflict over rangeland-use priorities, especially near protected areas, has long pitted environmental and biodiversity conservation interests against livestock livelihoods. Social–ecological conflict limits management adaptation and creativity while reinforcing social and disciplinary divisions. It can also reduce rancher access to land and negatively affect wildlife conservation. Communities increasingly expect research organizations to address complex social dynamics to improve opportunities for multiple ecosystem service delivery on rangelands. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area of the western US, long-standing disagreements among actors who argue for the use of the land for livestock and those who prioritize wildlife are limiting conservation and ranching livelihoods. Researchers at the USDA-ARS US Sheep Experiment Station (USSES) along with University and societal partners are responding to these challenges using a collaborative adaptive management (CAM) methodology. The USSES Rangeland Collaboratory is a living laboratory project leveraging the resources of a federal range sheep research ranch operating across sagebrush steppe ecosystems in Clark County, Idaho, and montane/subalpine landscapes in Beaverhead County, Montana. The project places stakeholders, including ranchers, conservation groups, and government land managers, in the decision-making seat for a participatory case study. This involves adaptive management planning related to grazing and livestock–wildlife management decisions for two ranch-scale rangeland management scenarios, one modeled after a traditional range sheep operation and the second, a more intensified operation with no use of summer ranges. We discuss the extent to which the CAM approach creates opportunities for multi-directional learning among participants and evaluate trade-offs among preferred management systems through participatory ranch-scale grazing research. In a complex system where the needs and goals of various actors are misaligned across spatiotemporal, disciplinary, and social–ecological scales, CAM creates a structure and methods to focus on social learning and land management knowledge creation. Full article

The livestock sector is crucial for global food security and economic development, particularly in developing nations, as it supports the livelihoods of approximately 1.3 billion people. However, with the global population expected to reach 9.2 billion by 2050, the sector must address increasing demand for livestock products while ensuring environmental sustainability. This study used the available literature to evaluate the economic viability of sustainable pasture and rangeland management practices to enhance livestock production. The key findings demonstrate that strategies such as rotational grazing and nitrogen fertilization can decrease winter feed costs by up to 40% while simultaneously improving pasture productivity and animal weight gains. Initial investments in these improved forage practices offer high internal rates of return, indicating their profitability. To guide sustainable pasture production and rangeland management, we propose a conceptual framework that balances cultivated pastures and natural rangelands. This framework assesses critical factors, including input costs, expected outputs (enhanced biodiversity and livestock production), and interventions to mitigate land degradation. For successful adoption of these practices, targeted policies are essential. Governments should develop financial support mechanisms for smallholder farmers, improve transportation infrastructure for efficient feed logistics, and provide technical assistance to educate producers on sustainable practices. Engaging stakeholders to align policies with local needs is also vital. By implementing these strategic interventions, the resilience of livestock systems can be strengthened, contributing to long-term sustainability and supporting food security and rural community well-being. Full article

Archeological evidence shows that dairy farming dates to the early Neolithic era in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Over time, it has evolved from domestication to intensive dairy farms with large, high-tech processing units. Dairy farming has contributed to economic growth, food production, employment, and processing industries. Nonetheless, it has been identified as a major contributor to climate change. This study explores the literature on dairy farming and sustainable development goals (SDGs) to identify current scholarly developments since the formulation and adoption of the SDGs in 2015 and themes for future research. This paper argues that sustainability shortfalls in dairy farming are primarily driven by human processes associated with commercialization and industrialization rather than the animals themselves, although biological emissions remain an inherent factor. Data were analyzed using R package, Excel, NVIVO, and VoS Viewer. A review of the literature showed that dairy farming and its contribution to sustainability has gained more scientific interest since 2015. Moreover, livestock management, feed production and management, stakeholder management, logistics and supply chain management, and waste management are the sources of environmental adversities associated with dairy farming. Notably, these are human processes developed from the commercialization of dairy farming and involve multiple stakeholders across the supply chain. While solutions are embedded within these processes, innovation emerges as a key driver of sustainability and a source of opportunities to strengthen sustainability in the dairy farming sector and achieve SDGs. Sustainability strategies, such as sustainable intensification, multifunctional agriculture, and agro-ecology should be implemented to improve sustainability in the dairy sector. Full article

Advanced generations of mobile network technologies (XG), last-mile connectivity and edge computing solutions can offer invaluable support for farmers and agribusinesses, fostering sustainable development, though unequal access to these digital technologies may lead to a digital divide. It remains, however, unclear to what extent and why farmers are (not) ready to adopt digital technology solutions in agricultural production systems. Hence, this study identifies and assesses the constraints on and drivers for the adoption and diffusion of smart XG, last-mile connectivity and edge computing solutions in agricultural production systems, using the Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool (ADOPT) in a stakeholder workshop setting. Results for the case of the ‘digital shepherd’ in Flanders (Belgium) show that there is substantial potential for its adoption (~40% of the target population) and diffusion (~15 years to peak adoption). To motivate farmers to adopt the ‘digital shepherd’, its profitability, environmental benefits and management convenience are pivotal; to accelerate adoption of the ‘digital shepherd’, its trialability and evaluability, as well as farmers’ skills and knowledge, are pivotal. Addressing these factors can significantly reduce the risk of a digital divide and, hence, allow policy makers to define corresponding strategies. Full article

Irrational use of antimicrobials in humans, livestock, and poultry is often cited as the key driver of the accelerated emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans and animals. In Pakistan, the use of antimicrobials in livestock and poultry is not well-regulated, owing to limited and/or ineffective implementation of existing legislations and lack of coordination amongst the key stakeholders. To gather data and information pertinent to the supply chain mapping and the usage of antibiotics in the livestock and poultry sectors of Pakistan, a national workshop for selected influential stakeholders was held in Islamabad, Pakistan during March 2020 to map the supply chain and the usage of antibiotics in the country. Participants from all relevant organizations identified the supply chain and discussed the status, challenges, and the way forward to enhance data collection and monitoring of antimicrobial usage (AMU) in livestock and poultry sectors to contain the emergence of AMR. The pre-workshop questionnaire was designed to gather relevant information on AMU and its distribution among diverse markets and users from the workshop participants, utilizing open-ended questions. A chart depicting the relative magnitude of an antimicrobial use (AMU) supply chain was constructed to illustrate the flow of antimicrobials from import and production to end-use at the farm level. This chart was shared with participants to gather their professional opinions and potential corrections. It also presented a list of agencies and their roles in regulating AMU, along with the types of AMU data available at each level. Specific recommendations were made at the end of the workshop to review and update legislation to cover the entire AMU supply chain, enhance regulations to restrict the use of antimicrobial growth promoters, build an integrated national AMU database system, and raise awareness about the responsible use of antimicrobials in the livestock and poultry sectors. It was concluded that the AMU supply chain in the veterinary sector of Pakistan is fragmented and is co-regulated by various federal and provincial stakeholders. There are some drugs, such as antibiotic growth promoters, which are not regulated at all. The approach and findings from this study can serve as a model to validate the use and management of antibiotics in other, similar countries currently grappling with serious antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crises. Full article