• CIHEAM Zaragoza, CSIC, UPV, Re-Livestock, and Digi4Live, in collaboration with ILVO jointly organised an advanced course to provide a comprehensive understanding of PLF technologies
• This training course enabled participants to gain insight into the concepts, technologies and practical applications of precision livestock farming

Thirty-one professionals from 18 Mediterranean countries, America, and central and northern Europe attended the advanced course “Creating Added Value in Precision Livestock Farming: From Sensors to Decisions”, held on the CSIC Campus in Madrid from 4 to 8 May. The course was part of Work Package 8 of the Horizon Europe Re-Livestock project “Facilitating Innovations for Resilient Livestock Farming Systems” (GA No. 101059609) and was jointly organised by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) through the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (CIHEAM Zaragoza), the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Universitat Politècnica de València and the Horizon Europe Digi4Live project, in collaboration with Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO). The course provided an international, multidisciplinary environment for knowledge exchange on the future of digital technologies in livestock farming.

Training framework

Sensor technology and data-driven systems are deeply transforming food production by enabling continuous monitoring, automation, and smarter decision-making across a wide range of sectors. In agriculture, and particularly in livestock production, these advances are equally transformative. Sensors such as accelerometers, GPS trackers, environmental sensors, and computer vision systems, provide detailed insights into animal behaviour, health, welfare, environmental impact, and performance that were previously impossible to capture at scale. The application of sensors and data-driven technology in livestock production is commonly known as Precision Livestock Farming (PLF). PLF systems allow farmers to detect diseases earlier, tailor feeding strategies, and reduce environmental impacts through better control of emissions and resource consumption, helping the livestock industry to face increasing demands from consumers for sustainability, welfare, and environmental responsibility.

Despite the multiple advantages of adopting PLF technologies, their implementation can be challenging. High installation and maintenance costs may be unaffordable for small and medium-sized farms despite price reductions expected in the near future. Furthermore, many systems require a stable internet connectivity and a reliable power supply, which are not always available in rural areas. Moreover, there is a lack of regulation concerning data ownership, privacy, and the ethical use of continuous monitoring technologies.

However, the main barrier for widespread adoption of PLF technologies is the difficulty to process and interpret data and obtain added value from the information they provide. The large volume of data generated can overwhelm farmers with more information than they can realistically process. Moreover, there is a lack of understanding of how to use this data to address the environmental, economic, and social dimensions to improve the sustainability of the livestock production system.

The course addressed the main social challenges that farmers, researchers and private companies face, for instance how to design strategies to enhance technical insight into various PLF technologies, how to establish a process of gathering and transforming raw data into information for decision making, and how to understand the advantages and limitations of PLF systems.

From data collection to decision-making

Throughout the week, participants explored how Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies are reshaping livestock systems by enabling more precise, data-driven, and sustainable management practices. The five-day training programme combined theoretical lectures with hands-on practical activities, technical visits, case studies, and interactive discussions, allowing participants to gain practical experience in data collection, standardisation, analysis, and interpretation for decision-making processes in livestock production systems.

The course addressed the role of digitalisation and advanced monitoring technologies in improving animal health, welfare, sustainability, and farm efficiency, with Re-Livestock showcasing innovative approaches to support more resilient livestock systems. One of the main conclusions of the course was that the real value of PLF lies not in generating more data, but in transforming it into simple, practical, and actionable tools that support farmers’ decision-making. Discussions also addressed important challenges for PLF adoption, including interoperability, data governance, infrastructure limitations, and the need to ensure that technologies remain farmer-oriented and applicable under real farming conditions.

Overall, the training reinforced the role of the Horizon Europe Re-Livestock project in promoting collaboration between science, technology developers, farmers, and policymakers to ensure that digital innovations generate real impact and contribute effectively to the transition towards more sustainable, resilient, and efficient livestock farming systems,

The training programme concluded with a field visit to the National Association of the Avileña Negra Iberica breed to introduce professionals from other regions to semi-extensive calf feeding systems and collective facilities for Avileña Negra Iberica breed selection and commercialisation.

Regional Impact and Mediterranean Cooperation

The multiactor approach of the course was based on the participation of a wide range of professional profiles: 10  researchers, 10 lecturers, 6 specialists from private companies, 2 policymakers and 2 participants from interprofessional farmers associations (meat and dairy). This highlighted the importance of implementing multidisciplinary models and teams in PLF.

Regarding the objectives achieved, the training enabled professionals from countries where precision tools are not yet established to become acquainted with PLF technologies. The course provided an opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and experiences among a group of interdisciplinary stakeholders, and constant debate with lecturers. The intense interaction indicated the high level of motivation among the participants and interest in the topics included in the programme.

It also had a significant impact on Mediterranean countries, as it offered solutions adaptable to extensive or traditional livestock farming systems characteristic of the Mediterranean region. The aim was to strengthen crucial technical capacities for the implementation of new practices that increase resilience and sustainability of animal production models. In a Mediterranean context, organisers and participants detected the need to adapt PLF technologies from intensive animal production systems to traditional extensive models of livestock farming.

The field day was an enriching experience for participants to come into contact with the Avila landscape and talk to the farmers about the facilities required for breed selection and for commercial purposes.