Abstract
Simple SummaryDairy production has evolved over many generations to be an important source of high-quality nutrition for a significant proportion of the global population. However, it needs to evolve further to ensure it contributes to sustainable diets. Technological innovation can be a key enabler. It is also the case however that innovation brings about significant change, and can introduce unexpected, unintended and undesirable consequences, which are experienced differently by different actors on the ground. Thus, a major challenge is turning good science and technology into positive and innovative outcomes for society in an equitable way. Drawing on concepts from Responsible Research and Innovation (anticipation, inclusion, reflexivity and responsiveness) and Food Systems thinking, the authors reviewed the academic literature to consider the perspectives of different actors relating to technologies on dairy farms. It considers ‘smart’ on-farm technologies at three key stages of the dairy production cycle—breeding, feeding and milking—through the lens of two actor groups. It considers the farmers who may(not) adopt such innovations and the consumer-citizens who will(not) purchase/accept the resultant on-farm practices and foods. It highlights some differences between and within these actor groups, but also identifies commonalities, including tensions, faced by both groups. Dairy production in the future, thus, is not only challenged with embracing advanced technologies, the process by which such technologies are designed and selected must also be ‘smart’.Innovation has resulted in more dairy products being produced with less inputs than ever before. It has also affected how animals are raised, the structure of the sector and the nature of products produced. Not all impacts have been positive. As disruptive technologies—such as precision farming and robotics—herald significant change, it is timely to reflect on the perspectives of different actors on innovations within the sector. Drawing on a review of academic literature, this paper considers farmers’ and consumer-citizens’ perspectives; as expected, their diverse knowledge, interests and values surface a range of perspectives. To provide focus to the study, it examines technologies across three stages of the dairy production cycle: breeding, feeding and milking. It finds that consumer-citizen and farmer perspectives have been examined by researchers in several countries, using a variety of methods, across a range of technologies. It finds both areas of agreement and tension within and between consumer-citizen and producer cohorts. While differences in knowledge account for some variation, differences in values are also significant. The extent to which efforts can and should be put into addressing differences is raised as a point for reflection.
Highlights
The dairy sector has featured as an important component of the domestication of livestock for food purposes for about 360 human generations [1]
Drawing on published academic literature that reports the results of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods designed to elicit such information, we identify some of the impacts that could arise with the introduction of key technologies in the dairy sector
The paper is concerned with identifying published academic literature that reports the results of primary research that has been conducted to elicit farmer and consumer-citizen perspectives on dairy farm technologies
Summary
The dairy sector has featured as an important component of the domestication of livestock for food purposes for about 360 human generations [1]. Changes in farming practices associated with specialization and mechanization have resulted in reduced space allocation to animals, with some animals given very limited/no access to the outdoors It has resulted in animal husbandry practices that may be painful, for example castration and debudding, and practices that interfere with ‘natural’ behavior, e.g., removing calves from their dams [9]. Intensification has resulted in the increased use of (synthetic) inputs, with negative impacts on water and air quality, biodiversity and soil health Such realities have led to questions about the sustainability of dairy production arising in relation to trade-offs across economic and environmental aspects of sustainability and in relation to social (intersections between different groups or individuals) and temporal (intersections between different generations) trade-offs. While dairy production tends to have a relatively positive image amongst the public [9], being associated with animals grazing pasture and living in the countryside, practices in dairy farming are increasingly subject to public scrutiny [13]
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