Periodic Reporting for period 3 - Code Re-farm (Consumer-driven demands to reframe farming systems)
Reporting period: 2023-11-01 to 2025-04-30
The Code:Re-farm project was built around investigating the relationship between husbandry systems and the intrinsic quality of animal products with a focus on poultry and goat production. The Consortium addressed challenges arising from intensive and extensive livestock production systems. The project responded to the rapid growth of intensive livestock farming, driven by rising food demand, and its associated negative impacts on the environment, which have sparked public concern. In addition , livestock intensification has been linked to animal health and welfare concerns, potentially affecting the quality of animal-derived products. Conversely, extensive livestock systems—characterized as low-input approaches—were recognized in the project as essential for supporting rural development. These systems also contribute to environmental sustainability, though concerns about product safety due to limited resources, remain. To this end, Code:Re-farm developed and applied both novel and conventional technologies to assess quality across the entire value chain, from farm to fork. The insights generated were integrated with data on societal expectations and the sustainability of production systems and were presented via an intelligent analytics platform (PINAPL). These findings were utilized to explore and support alternative, sustainable, and consumer-driven solutions, offering new perspectives on value chain structures and business ecosystem management.
With its completion, Code:Re-farm leaves behind a foundation of knowledge and tools to inform future practices in sustainable livestock production.
With its completion, Code:Re-farm leaves behind a foundation of knowledge and tools to inform future practices in sustainable livestock production.
During the Code:Re-farm implementation, the Consortium collected requirements from key stakeholders across the poultry egg, poultry meat, and goat milk supply chains, including consumer input. A study protocol was developed to guide all necessary analyses, sample and data collection, and the steps for assessing animal health and welfare of goats and chickens. The assessments and sample collection activities began early in the project and continued until the project end. An analysis of the then current state of the goat and poultry sectors was also completed in the initial phase.
All health and welfare assessments, sample collection and sample analysis were completed and the novel tools were used with real-samples and some of them in the Code:Re-farm pilots. Protocols for taste panels were meticulously drafted, and the taste panels were successfully conducted in five locations. Ethical considerations—both related to research and the protection of personal data—were carefully reviewed, and a data management plan (DMP) was submitted at the end of the project to reflect evolving requirements around research integrity and personal data protection.
Twelve alternative business models, were designed as an outcome of Code:Re-farm which are publicly available. These alternative business models are based on a list of tailored value propositions co-developed with sector stakeholders and experts for the dairy and poultry industries.
Dissemination efforts remained active, throughout the project, with presentations at conferences and scientific publications in open access. Code:Re-farm also maintained ongoing collaboration and communication with affiliated projects and frequently discussed common lines and challenges.
With the conclusion of Code:Re-farm, the project leaves behind a suite of tools, insights, and stakeholder-informed strategies to support more sustainable, welfare-conscious, and consumer-driven livestock value chains.
All health and welfare assessments, sample collection and sample analysis were completed and the novel tools were used with real-samples and some of them in the Code:Re-farm pilots. Protocols for taste panels were meticulously drafted, and the taste panels were successfully conducted in five locations. Ethical considerations—both related to research and the protection of personal data—were carefully reviewed, and a data management plan (DMP) was submitted at the end of the project to reflect evolving requirements around research integrity and personal data protection.
Twelve alternative business models, were designed as an outcome of Code:Re-farm which are publicly available. These alternative business models are based on a list of tailored value propositions co-developed with sector stakeholders and experts for the dairy and poultry industries.
Dissemination efforts remained active, throughout the project, with presentations at conferences and scientific publications in open access. Code:Re-farm also maintained ongoing collaboration and communication with affiliated projects and frequently discussed common lines and challenges.
With the conclusion of Code:Re-farm, the project leaves behind a suite of tools, insights, and stakeholder-informed strategies to support more sustainable, welfare-conscious, and consumer-driven livestock value chains.
The Code:Re-farm project marked the first time such a comprehensive study was conducted on both goat and poultry farming systems, aiming to clearly demonstrate links between husbandry practices and the intrinsic quality of animal-derived products. The project moved beyond conventional quality assessments by:
a) evaluating food product quality and safety holistically—including compositional, physical, functional, and microbiological characteristics,
b) integrating animal health and welfare into the assessment framework, recognizing their direct link to product quality and their importance to societal values, and
c) developing novel tools and methods for efficient and affordable data collection across the value chain. These innovations included on-site instrumentation for assessing milk and egg quality, as well as automated technologies for monitoring animal health and welfare.
A key achievement was the development of the PINAPL platform enabling full traceability of livestock products from farm to fork. The project also conducted a study on consumer needs and societal expectations, using these insights to shape new, sustainable, consumer-focused business models.
In terms of impact, Code:Re-farm significantly advanced scientific understanding of the relationship between farming systems and the intrinsic quality of animal products in goats and poultry. It also contributed to animal welfare science by evaluating welfare conditions within different husbandry systems. The novel tools and methods developed—ranging from quality assessment technologies to welfare and stress analysis systems—have potential for commercialization and can form the basis of the Code:Re-farm methodology for ensuring product traceability and quality assurance.
The project empowered farmers with tools to demonstrate transparency regarding product quality and animal welfare, responding to growing societal demands for sustainable and ethical production. Through the Code:Re-farm Decision Support System (DSS), the link between farming practices and product authenticity was made clearer, providing a knowledge base for future research and innovation.
The pilot studies informed proposals for improvements in farming systems and management strategies, with implications for the entire value chain. The project’s results hold scientific, socio-economic, policy, governance, and environmental significance. The innovative business models, tools, and platforms developed could influence future regulations, standards, and strategic plans. If technologies like those proposed are adopted, they may lead to stricter oversight—positively impacting food quality, safety, and ultimately human health.
Now completed, Code:Re-farm leaves a legacy of innovation, insight, and actionable tools that can shape the future of sustainable livestock production.
a) evaluating food product quality and safety holistically—including compositional, physical, functional, and microbiological characteristics,
b) integrating animal health and welfare into the assessment framework, recognizing their direct link to product quality and their importance to societal values, and
c) developing novel tools and methods for efficient and affordable data collection across the value chain. These innovations included on-site instrumentation for assessing milk and egg quality, as well as automated technologies for monitoring animal health and welfare.
A key achievement was the development of the PINAPL platform enabling full traceability of livestock products from farm to fork. The project also conducted a study on consumer needs and societal expectations, using these insights to shape new, sustainable, consumer-focused business models.
In terms of impact, Code:Re-farm significantly advanced scientific understanding of the relationship between farming systems and the intrinsic quality of animal products in goats and poultry. It also contributed to animal welfare science by evaluating welfare conditions within different husbandry systems. The novel tools and methods developed—ranging from quality assessment technologies to welfare and stress analysis systems—have potential for commercialization and can form the basis of the Code:Re-farm methodology for ensuring product traceability and quality assurance.
The project empowered farmers with tools to demonstrate transparency regarding product quality and animal welfare, responding to growing societal demands for sustainable and ethical production. Through the Code:Re-farm Decision Support System (DSS), the link between farming practices and product authenticity was made clearer, providing a knowledge base for future research and innovation.
The pilot studies informed proposals for improvements in farming systems and management strategies, with implications for the entire value chain. The project’s results hold scientific, socio-economic, policy, governance, and environmental significance. The innovative business models, tools, and platforms developed could influence future regulations, standards, and strategic plans. If technologies like those proposed are adopted, they may lead to stricter oversight—positively impacting food quality, safety, and ultimately human health.
Now completed, Code:Re-farm leaves a legacy of innovation, insight, and actionable tools that can shape the future of sustainable livestock production.