AI-powered project aims to transform UK beef farming
UK beef farming could be radically transformed thanks to new research which will tackle the industry’s critical environmental, social, and economic challenges using artificial intelligence.
By Helen Breese | Published on 16 October 2024
Categories: Press office; Research; Nottingham Business School;
The £1.2m UKRI-funded BeefTwin project seeks to improve feed efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enhance animal welfare, and increase profitability for farmers.
Led by Professor Xiao Ma, director of the Centre for Business and Industry Transformation (CBIT) at Nottingham Business School, part of Nottingham Trent University, the research will combine expertise in biosciences, environmental sciences, management sciences, computer sciences, and animal sciences.
Experts from the University of Nottingham; Royal Holloway University; the University of Sheffield, and the University of Lincoln will work across disciplines to leverage AI and data-driven technologies to address the urgent challenges facing the UK beef industry.
Beef farming significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, with annual emissions totalling four billion metric tons (FAO, 2023).
UK beef farms also face low profitability due to factors like inconsistent beef quality, lack of precision farming practice, and power imbalance and loss of value within the supply chain.
In addition, grazing beef farming makes it difficult to collect real-time data on animal health, feed conversion, and environmental impact.
Thermal imaging tracking each cow in a herd
BeefTwin will develop an AI-powered DigitalTwin for each cow in the herd - creating a virtual representation of the farming system which involves the usage of real-time data, simulation, machine learning and real time tracking of emissions.
This unique project will integrate the expertise of scientists from different disciplines to measure conversion rates taking place in the farm and develop a more efficient model through reconfigured farming practices. These include:
- Biology focused microbial analysis of cattle waste to understand feed conversion to productivity in terms of meat and methane emissions (Dr Ellen Nisbet, University of Nottingham)
- Environmental science centred analysis to track methane emissions and identify their sources using drones, sensors and methane analysers (Dr Rebecca Fisher, Royal Holloway University)
- Working closely with farmers to identify the wider socioeconomical issues and different grazing patterns of the cattle and assess the impact on productivity and efficiency of the farm (Professor Louise Manning, Lincoln University)
- Computer science and AI centred study to leverage sensor and computer vision data to empower precision measurement on cattle weight, behaviour, growth patterns, farming practice variations and methane emission tracking (Professor Jungong Han, University of Sheffield)
- A management sciences centred team at NTU will closely monitor the changing dynamics of the farming practices from data and create a new reconfigured smart farming model representing efficient and optimised conversions that benefit the entire farming value chain (Professor Xiao Ma and Dr Fatima Gillani, Nottingham Trent University)
The results will contribute to the development of new farming practices, where operations are simulated and optimised to improve resource efficiency and profitability for farmers. This will lead to reduced GHG emissions from the farm; improved feed conversion efficiency; increase beef farming productivity; and enhanced animal welfare and reduced calf mortality rates.
The BeefTwin project aims to collaborate with farmers, policymakers, and industry experts throughout to ensure practical and impactful solutions.
Director of CBIT and project lead, Professor Xiao Ma, said: “The beef industry in the UK, and Europe, is facing a number of challenges and competition from smart farming nations such as South America and Southeast Asia, where they have upskilled rural communities and seen their profitability increase.
“Due to yield-driven beef grading, the industry's low margins, and value being extracted later in the food supply chain, for example by supermarkets and abattoirs, UK farms often rely on subsidies to survive, and authorities are required to finance the industry.
“We are seeing a worrying trend where industries are being outsourced to other countries, and if we don’t act quickly, we risk losing beef farming to the same fate. The UK needs to catch up and if we do it right then we can protect our small farm model and keep local people in their farms by improving the value chain and making farming self-sustainable.
“By fostering collaboration and innovation, BeefTwin aims to create a more environmentally friendly, economically viable, and socially responsible future for beef farming.”
BeefTwin - AI-powered Digital Twin for Sustainable Beef Farming will work with farms across the UK for two years, if you are interested in taking part please contact cbit@ntu.ac.uk
Notes for Editors
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About Nottingham Business School at Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Business School (NBS) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a leader in experiential learning and personalisation of business, management and economics education and research, combining academic excellence with positive impact on people, business and society. NBS has an unrivalled level of engagement with business, public and voluntary organisations. With more than 8,500 students, NBS is also one of UK’s largest business schools.
NBS is triple crown accredited by EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA as well as EFMD BA for International Business, which are globally recognised hallmarks of excellence and quality for business education. NBS is also accredited by Small Business Charter, providing support and development for SMEs. The school is also a PRME Champion and held up as an exemplar and beacon by the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME).
About Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2021 for cultural heritage science research. It is the second time that NTU has been bestowed the honour of receiving a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its research, the first being in 2015 for leading-edge research on the safety and security of global citizens.
The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. 86% of NTU’s research impact was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent.
NTU was awarded The Times and The Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2023 and ranked University of the Year in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023. It was awarded Outstanding Support for Students 2020 (Times Higher Education Awards), University of the Year 2019 (Guardian University Awards, UK Social Mobility Awards), Modern University of the Year 2018 (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide) and University of the Year 2017 (Times Higher Education Awards).
NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with approximately 40,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of 7,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.
Since 2000, NTU has invested £570 million in tools, technology, buildings and facilities.
NTU is in the UK’s top 10 for number of applications and ranked first for accepted offers (2021 UCAS UG acceptance data). It is also among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was the first UK university to sign the Social Mobility Pledge.
NTU is ranked the second most sustainable university in the world in the 2022 UI Green Metric University World Rankings (out of more than 900 participating universities).