Context

The project aims to provide the extensive livestock farming sector (cattle, horses and sheep) with new technological tools to obtain and manage as much data as possible from a herd with minimum involvement by the farmer. Geolocation and monitoring of animals uses various algorithms to analyse the information collected in order to identify possible incidents and improve the management of animals and pastures. 

This Operational Group, consisting of the Unió de Pagesos (Farmers’ Union of Catalonia), the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Digitanimal, SL and the cooperatives Pirenaica Societat Cooperativa C. LTDA and Agrària Ramadera del Pallars de Sort, SCCL, focuses on exploring the full potential that these technologies can provide.

1.- Improving the economic viability of farms. 
Adjustment of the devices to herd activity patterns to improve technical-health-financial management. Provision of the location and monitoring of the movements and condition of animals and herds. 
The task requiring the most labour is supervising the herd and monitoring the animals' health (behaviour, diseases, births, etc.). Reducing working hours is a key factor in lowering costs and increasing the financial viability of farms. 

2.- Sustainable use of natural resources and the maintenance of biodiversity. 
Analysis of the grouped data related to the animals' location to determine grazing pressure, preserve the pasture's quality and ensure the sustainability of the silvopastoral system. 

3.- Proximity of herds to wildlife. 
A third challenge is the fact that herds live in proximity to other wildlife. The technology for detecting wildlife attacks will be assessed, and patterns of behaviour to detect and document them will be established.