The main expected impact of TechCare is to ‘provide the knowledge base, issued from practical application evidence, for further improvements in animal welfare management, linked to production efficiency and policy making’.
A better understanding of animal welfare and associated animal behavior
TechCare will provide early warning information where the behavior or responses of the animal have deviated from previous norms. This will provide a new insight into the initial response of animals to early welfare challenges or subclinical disease states. Having a means to identify good welfare offers the opportunity to reward farmers for providing for the welfare needs of their animals
A broader range of animal welfare management strategies and tools
Application of PLF technologies, and associated data management paradigms, will allow the individual to be identified within the larger group, and for opportunities for welfare management of individuals to be available to producers. This provides a very powerful opportunity for management to be tailored to individual needs, improving welfare but also optimizing farm efficiency. It can also contribute to allow higher welfare-friendly systems, where positive welfare is ensured, that can be relevant models to be applied to other production systems
Developing innovative approaches to measuring animal welfare at various stages of the production system
TechCare will provide original data and practical application outputs issued from prototyping and testing relevant PLF tools for monitoring previously prioritized animal welfare issues and production parameters in different environments, species, production purposes and at different points of the value chain
An increase in the range of animal welfare management strategies and tools
TechCare will develop Early Warning System (EWS) and related intervention mechanisms (RIM) of potential welfare issues that were otherwise lacking in SR production systems
An increase in the sustainability of the livestock sector by better responding to consumer demands and/or increasing competitiveness of the sector
TechCare will:
- create a new attractiveness to young farmers for small ruminant productions
- create unique conditions to develop innovative and sustainable business models for an economical sector with low income
- participate in the long-term development of animal welfare early warning systems at all stages of the terrestrial livestock production system across the EU
