Building Trust in Precision Livestock Farming Using Public Engagement

U.S. animal agriculture faces rising public concern about animal welfare, environmental impact, and the long-term sustainability of livestock farming. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF), data-driven technology that monitors and manages individual animals, has been proposed as one way forward. But whether it should be adopted depends not only on how well it works, but on whether the public sees it as trustworthy and acceptable: a concept known as a social license to operate.

This project does not assume PLF is good or bad. Instead, it treats public acceptance as an open, empirical question and works directly with members of the public to understand their values and concerns. We focus on two technologies already used on farms: robotic milking systems for dairy cows and electronic sow feeders for pigs.

Because biosecurity rules that protect farm animals, and practical budget limits, mean we cannot bring thousands of people onto a working farm, we begin with a small group of citizens who visit MSU's farms in person. What they learn shapes national surveys that show the wider public real images and videos of the technology, and a closing conference that brings citizens, advocates, and industry together to co-create guidelines for using PLF responsibly.