M&S has become the first retailer to roll out AI-powered welfare monitoring across its entire dairy supply chain, as the retailer expands its use of technology within British farming.
The technology is being deployed across all 46 British dairy farms in the M&S Select Farm Milk Pool, following trials on a selection of farms.
Using existing cameras in dairy parlours, the system captures footage of cows while they are indoors, with AI-powered video analytics used to monitor their welfare in real time.
Algorithms developed alongside vets build an individual health profile for each animal, tracking factors including mobility, body condition, lying and feeding times and social interactions.
The data is used to generate a ‘cow comfort score’, giving farmers and vets more frequent information about individual animals and helping them identify changes in health and wellbeing.
M&S said the technology will enhance, rather than replace, regular in-person welfare checks carried out by independent vets.
During trials, farmers used insights generated by the technology to make changes to individual cows’ bedding, adapt feeding schedules to reduce the amount of time animals spent standing and alter stall designs to improve comfort.
The algorithm underpinning the technology has also been tested and found to perform to the same standard as a trained welfare assessor, according to M&S.
Peter Kennedy, Head of Agriculture at M&S Food, said:
“M&S has always had market-leading welfare standards, and as we continue to support British farmers in this latest evolution of welfare monitoring, powered by AI, it will support farmers to give the best care to dairy cows.”
The rollout forms part of M&S’ Plan A for Farming programme and its wider investment in agricultural innovation.
M&S has invested more than £7 million in agricultural innovation over the past decade and has committed a further £7 million over the next five years.
Jenny Allan, Map of Ag Veterinary consultant, said: “Going forwards AI technology will enable real-time cow comfort and health parameters to be monitored, providing valuable insights across 46 farms.”
Terry Canning, CEO of CattleEye, added: “Deploying AI welfare monitoring across an entire supply chain is a first.”
