Digital Livestock Farming Offers Mixed Outcomes for Farmed Animals - Stray Dog Institute

Smart farming, an increasingly common part of food production, refers broadly to the innovative use of sensors, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline agriculture. Field crop examples of smart farming include monitoring soil health using small sensors, spotting signs of disease in plants via drones, and facilitating connections between smaller-scale farmers through consumer electronic devices. These smart innovations offer potential time savings and crop optimization benefits for farmers and may contribute to the wiser use of resources in food production. Smart farming is also used in animal agriculture in forms such as Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) and Digital Livestock Farming (DLF). PLF uses sensors and small electronics to measure key indicators related to animals' physiology and behavior.