Technologies that help achieve animal well-being

The integration of technologies in the agrifood sector can bring significant productive results, reducing both production costs while minimising the environmental footprint. A prime example of the effective use of technology is smart livestock farming. The livestock sector is fertile ground for research and technological advances, with the achievement of sustainable livestock being one of the key incentives. This is why there are a number of Greek startups active in this sector. More specifically, reduction of farming costs and increased animal well-being, in tandem with improved quality and increased quantity of production, are areas of keen interest. Startups are focusing their activities on:

Reduction of antibiotics 

These companies are developing tools for diagnosing illnesses in animals at every livestock operation, with the aim of reducing the quantity of antibiotics administered to the animals. The technology being used focuses on analysing the response of animals’ immune systems to identify and determine the stage of infections. This offers an alternative to the preventive administration of antibiotics.

Animal health and welfare

A number of startups are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to develop their activities. More specifically, they focus on using AI and predictive imaging analysis to monitor animal health and welfare.

These companies employ imaging equipment to monitor livestock farms, while AI and tailored algorithms track the behaviour of individual animals to monitor their health, notifying livestock farmers when action is required. Their systems can record the quantities of feed and water consumed by each animal, as well as their thermal state.

Estrus detection

Other companies are developing neck-mounted monitoring systems that are used to detect estrus and health problems in dairy cows.

The device, which is currently being used on hundreds of dairy farms throughout Europe, is designed to help dairy farmers spend less time directly observing the herd and take preventive measures to treat emerging problems.

The application of smart livestock farming is one of the ways to achieve good animal welfare and well-being, an issue of concern to more and more European consumers.