Sm@RT: small ruminant technology – PLF and digital technology for small ruminants

Rural economies across Europe, and associated countries, heavily rely on small ruminant (SR) systems, particularlyin areas unsuitable for other agriculture livestock production systems. Despite recent advances in precision livestockfarming (PLF) and digital technologies (DT) to facilitate farm management, there is a slow rate of uptake by SRproducers. This paper presents the project Sm@RT, which aims to improve the understanding, awareness and uptake ofdifferent technologies currently available to the SR sector, and further to facilitate ‘solutions to needs’ and identificationof technology gaps. Sm@RT focus is on the use of PLF and DT across all types of sheep and goat managementsystems and environments, to develop a long-term, self-sustainable European/International network to encouragethe use of PLF and DT across the sectors. Eight countries (UK, Ireland, Norway, Estonia, France, Italy, Hungary, Israel) are involved in Sm@rt. The paper presents the original project’s approach: an interactive transdisciplinary andmulti-actor approach relying on well-equipped demonstration farms (‘digifarms’) and innovative commercial farmsto foster exchanges within the SR industry. It is an iterative step-by-step approach to engage relevant actors from allstakeholder groups at the appropriate level in the knowledge exchange process, crucial to boost dissemination in atrusting environment. Sm@RT will create opportunities to collect and exchange technical and practical knowledge,with information and guidelines on how to use PLF and DT to gain the best benefits for SR systems of production.This will increase efficiency and sustainability of SR farming systems in Europe and beyond.