Livestock Innovation

LRIC in the news 

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI)'s latest report explores the intricate forces impacting Canada’s animal agriculture systems, and offers a compelling narrative of challenges, opportunities, and the policy landscape that shapes the future of this vital industry.

“Canada is in a unique position to meet the growing global demand for proteins because of our land base, water resources, efficient production systems, and low carbon emissions relative to other countries,” says Al Mussell, CAPI’s Director of Research and co-author of the report.

Read the report here

Read the Farmtario news story here

Funding opportunities

• Honey Bee Health Initiative: Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association, ongoing
• Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, ongoing
• Rapid Response for Business Development: Grand River Agricultural Society, ongoing

Please visit LRIC's website for more information on the funding opportunities.

Sector-specific innovation highlights*

Poultry: Generating clean electricity with chicken feathers

Researchers at ETH Zurich and Nanyang Technological University Singapore are using chicken feathers to make fuel cells more cost-effective and sustainable. They're extracting a protein called keratin from the feathers and converting it into ultra-fine fibres that are used to make the membranes that are at the centre of every fuel cell. At lab scale, the membrane manufactured from the biological keratin is three times cheaper than conventional membranes used in fuel production currently.

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Swine: Balanced breeding benefits food security, animal welfare & environment

A new peer-reviewed study by a team of researchers from Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Belgium shows that balanced breeding programs in swine can increase litter size as well as piglets' birth weight and survival rates. Balanced breeding means targeting and selecting for a wider range of characteristics so that a focus on productivity or meat quality doesn't compromise health, welfare or environmental impacts.

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Beef: Selecting for better weight gain, fewer methane emissions

By analyzing microorganisms found in the manure and stomach contents of beef cattle, a Brazilian research team has found markers that can help identify the phenotypes of animals that emit less methane and have better feed efficiency. According to the Brazilian Climate Observatory (Observatório do Clima), farming ranks second in greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil. Brazil is home to a large and growing cattle population.

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Dairy: Keeping the brain sharp with cheese

A study from Japan has found that cheese intake could be a way to lower the risk of dementia. Nutrients found in cheese may support cognitive function in older adults, according to an analysis of data provided by more than 1,200 Japanese adults aged 65 and over.

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Small ruminants: Technologies to improve sheep production efficiency

The Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production at Olds College is currently conducting research to identify and quantify a panel of predictive blood biomarkers for feed efficiency and sheep parasite infection using genomics and metabolomics technologies. This is part of a shift towards targeted treatment that could reduce the development of parasitic resistance and minimize treatment costs for producers.

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Cross-sector innovation highlights*

Alternative protein:  Replacing soy with insect protein in livestock rations

Multi-national Tyson Foods is making signficiant investments into insect protein production for animal feed ingredients, aquacuture and pet food. Insect production is regarded as less envrionmentally intensive than growing soybeans, currently a staple ingredient in livestock feed, and will help meet consumer demand for what are considered "cleaner" foods.

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Calf health: Industry-first diarrhea vaccine awaits approval

A first of its kind vaccine that boosts calf immunity against the pathogen that causes cryptosporidiosis or calf diarrhea in newborn calves is up for regulatory approval in Europe. The vaccine is given to pregnant cows to raise the antibodies in their colostrum against a protein expressed by C. parvum, the zoonotic parasite behind one of the most contagious and harmful diseases affecting newborn calves. 

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Agtech: European company secures loan for chick-sexing technology

The European Investment Bank is supporting Dutch company In Ovo with a $42 million US loan for its technology that determines the sex of hatching eggs and will make the culling male chicks a thing of the past. With the funds, In Ovo will also continue development of its sensor platform that optimizes the hatching process, helping hatcheries produce healthier chicks.

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On the horizon*

In search of a definition for regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture means different things to different people, and a one-size-fits-all view is difficult to achieve as evidenced by the various definitions used by the food and agriculture sector. In the European Union, a formal, legal definition has yet to be agreed upon, however - which could lead to fears of greenwashing. Panelists at the FoodNavigator Climate Smart Food Summit in September suggested differing approaches, from focusing on outcomes to regional definitions.

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Could Artificial Intelligence be the key to better animal welfare?

New technologies hold the promise of being able, for the first time, accurately assess animal emotions based on artifical intelligence and facial recognition. A researcher at Scotland's Rural College, for example is using a neural network developed by a company wanting to use facial recognition to support individualized rations in their automatic swine feeders to evaluate what pigs might be feeling. Initial experiments showed the system was 92% accurate in detecting pigs feeling distress compared to human assessments. A small, but growing number of researchers and companies are building similar technologies, using a variety of tools from cameras to microphones.

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*Articles in this newsletter are selected for relevance and interest to the livestock sector. LRIC does not verify claims made by the article authors and we recognize that not all data is specific to Ontario. The intent is to select articles that will expose readers to issues, perceptions and developments that have the potential to impact livestock production. 

Thanks for reading. We'd love to hear your feedback about LRIC - both about what we're doing and what you think we should be doing! Please contact us at info@livestockresearch.ca with any questions or comments.

The Livestock Innovation Corporation is funded in part by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative.