Precision dairy farming (PDF) is a collection of cutting technologies designed for the automatic, real-time monitoring of cow welfare, health, environmental impact, and production. It is recognized as a high priority for achieving policy goals in many countries worldwide, as it enables the transition towards more resilient and sustainable dairy farming practices. In 2016, the Discover Conference on Big Data Dairy Management discussed the potential of big data analyses and technology in the dairy industry. Since 2016, enormous progress has been made in the field of artificial intelligence, sensing technology and data analyses in all domains. While such progress brings excitement to advance the dairy industry toward sustainable systems, it is crucial to address the current challenges facing data-driven dairy, including data privacy concerns, data standardization, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration between animal science, engineering, and computer science.
This conference is an opportunity to bring together various stakeholders to establish a shared understanding of the current state of precision dairy farming technologies and data governance and identify obstacles to successful implementation. Insights gained from this conference can help inform and influence policy decisions, ensuring that the regulatory environment supports the growth and sustainability of the dairy industry.