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The Livestack Podcast: Episode 21 / Exploring Agritech, Data Standards, and Improved Animal Welfare

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Welcome to Episode 21 of the LiveStack Podcast! In this episode, we dive into insights from three pivotal conferences held in Italy this summer: the Welfare Assessment of Animals at the Farm Level (WAFL), the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP), and the EU Precision Livestock Farming (EU-PLF) conference. The discussion centers around advancements in agritech, the development of data standards, and how these innovations are driving improvements in food animal welfare.

Joining Daniel Foy, Co-Founder and CEO of AgriGates, are three incredible guests with diverse backgrounds and expertise in animal welfare and precision livestock farming (PLF):

  • Sky (Kehan) Sheng: A PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia’s Animal Welfare Program, Sky’s research intersects animal welfare science and data science within PLF. Her work focuses on advancing automated methods for dairy cow behavior assessment, developing systems for lameness detection, and establishing behavioral baselines using sensor data to enhance animal care and monitoring.
  • Adrien Lebreton: Adrien’s passion for livestock farming stems from his upbringing in Normandy, France. With a background as an agricultural engineer specializing in Animal Science, Adrien has explored cutting-edge technologies such as 3D imaging for phenotyping and AI models for grazing traceability. Now at the French Livestock Institute (Idele), he continues to push the boundaries of PLF for outdoor ruminants, integrating technologies like GNSS collars, virtual fencing, and drones.
  • Michael Odintsov Vaintrub: Michael combines his veterinary training and expertise in preventive medicine with a passion for integrating PLF technologies into small-scale and extensive farming systems. As co-founder of the start-up Regrowth, he develops modular PLF systems tailored for farms in marginal areas. Michael’s interdisciplinary approach spans animal health, welfare, soil science, and agroecology, which he implements at “The Green Pearl,” his agroecological demo farm in Teramo, Italy.

This episode is packed with thoughtful discussion on how cutting-edge research and technology are shaping the future of animal welfare and sustainable farming practices.

Stay informed and inspired—tune in to Episode 21 of the LiveStack Podcast, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!