1. Big data and Agri-food Simon Davis – Head of Partnerships 4th November, 2017
Talk about a dimension of precision agriculture
Big data and relationship with agri-food sector

2. A few thoughts…. Measuring performance Data and technology
Agrimetrics role
Cover measuring performance and associated challenges
Role of data and technology
Our role as an organisation in bringing both together
Sneek in lots of different animals to attempt to keep everyone happy!

3. A very brief background to Agrimetrics….
Agri-tech strategy launched in £90 million of Government funding for Centres for Agricultural Innovation
Apply innovation in Tech into the Agri-food sector
The Big Data Centre of Excellence – a tech start up with UK Gov investment

4. Performance – why measure it in animal production?
Drive efficiency (e.g. Feed Conversion)
Continuous improvement (e.g. Public health)
Understand & mitigate risks (e.g. Disease)
Provides confidence (e.g. Consumer)
Maximise potential (e.g. Profitability)
Why performance?
So many benefits to the agri-food system
Efficiency – Become more productive
Mitigate risks – Ensure we are producing sustainably both now and in the future
Confidence - Meet others expectations that we are doing the best we can to protect them
Potential – Become more profitable

5. But many performance variables are interconnected
Economics:
Consumer prices
Investments
Jobs
Societal:
Urbanisation
Nutrition & welfare
Living standards
Chronic disease
Pop. growth
Environment:
Climate change
Land use
Air/water quality
Geopolitical:
Trade agreements
Legislation
BREXIT!
WEF global risk report that links the economic, societal, environmental and geopolitical variables with current global macro trends
Apply to livestock E.g. Growing middle class in China, increased consumption as sign of wealth, and impact on meat production, land use, GHG emissions, trade agreements all around the world

6. Evidence exists in silos across the industry
International Org’s
e.g. Disease, Production, Consumption, pricing, trade….
Consumers
e.g. shopping habits, preferences, feedback….
Farm
e.g. Farm management, herd health, calving rates, production, feed intake….
Food industry
e.g. GHG surveys, animal welfare audits, product quality, complaints, sales, volumes, waste….
Ag service
e.g. Vet records, Assurance schemes, Scientific lab’s, GHG surveys….
UK Gov.
e.g. Farm/Abattoir inspections, imports/exports, movement surveys, public health records, vet records….
Public and private sector
Different forms
In isolation
Tackling the same challenges!
Scientific community
e.g. genetics, phenotypes, disease risk, environmental quality, land use….

7. There is more evidence on the way….
EID’s
Traceability
Animal history e.g. weight, breed, disease
Rumen bolus
Movement
Lying/standing
pH/temp/digestion
Collars
GPS/Movement
Disease risk/mapping
Grazing
Cameras
Health & welfare
Body condition/fat levels
EID = Electronic Identification Device
Collars – predicts oestrus in cattle by monitoring step count data
Cameras – infrared as detection of heat, inflammation and injury

8. Captured in real time ….More data ….More insights ….More often
….More specific
….More consistent
One piece of kit can generate 100,000’s-1,000,000’s of data points per animal per year!

9. More joined up thinking on performance is required….
From this…
To this…
To inform this…
Better inform targets been set
Reshape targets

10. Agrimetrics technology can support this
Integration of these diverse forms of performance related agri-food data
Making the data more accessible for the industry as a whole
Transforming the way we generate insights
Transforming = in real time, for individual animals, using machines to predict future risk and develop EWS
Machine learning example = predictive shopping list, predict disease outbreaks
Accelerating innovation and growth for businesses and UK plc

11. What makes us different?
Independent – facilitating data exchange
Data science, scientific and industrial expertise
Market leading technology
Independent operating across the entire agri-food system
Not about having the data in one place!

12. Delivered through our data market
Supply
Infrastructure
Vet records
Data
Welfare benchmarking tool
Improved public health
Buy
Agrimetrics platform
Movement
Climate change/disease risk model
UK AMR strategic policy
Abattoir
inspection
Partner
Can still for now treat performance in isolation but built on an interconnected evidence base
Weather
API

13. Our approach – Defra Nat Cap tool

14. Defra’s challenge on performance
As a Defra Group Adviser I want to provide robust, national data on the environment, set in a local context so key stakeholders can agree where to enhance Ecosystem Services, by investing in Natural Capital

15. Agrimetrics Defra Natural Capital Tool

16. Comparing ecosystem services across different parishes
Could we reconnect the livestock system in a similar way?

17. The Tech bit - Usual design
No context between pages/data
No flow – can reach a dead end

18. Agrimetrics approach
Data integration layer converts multiple datasets to one
Allowing comparisons of data
User focused
RDF

19. Others can innovate and new data can be added

20. A recap….
Measuring ‘Animals for food’ performance….is challenging as there are many interconnected variables, addressed in silos
Data and technology….there are new ways of collecting, integrating and analysing data
Agrimetrics role….
Integrating data across the sector
Making data more accessible
Enabling you to improve your own performance through better decisions, products and services

21. To finish….