By Tracy Sellers

As farmers and ranchers face challenges such as a changing climate, resource scarcity and the pressure to feed an ever-growing population, they also find themselves intertwined more than ever with the technology industry, as both look to find sustainable and feasible solutions for our food system.

At the recent Verge 24 Climate Technology Conference in San Jose, the CLEAR Center joined a panel with the National Pork Board to discuss how farmers are using technology on their farms and ranches, how analytics-based decisions are being made, and to talk about what’s needed for swine and cattle producers and consumers, going forward.

Sponsored by The Protein PACT, an organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the people, animals and climate of tomorrow, the panel discussion was titled, “Driving Sustainability Solutions in Animal Agriculture,” and was moderated by Jamie Burr, Chief Sustainability Officer for the National Pork Board. NPB board member, Dr. Gordon Spronk, who has a DVM degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota and is a partner in his multi-generation family swine farm in Minnesota took part in the panel discussion, as did Madison Kindberg, who is a graduate student researcher at the CLEAR Center at UC Davis and who grew up on her family’s dairy operation, and now has her own beef operation. 

The panel discussion was part of a three-day tech conference that was aimed at leaders in the business, government and technology sectors as well as solution providers and startups, all interested in learning more about climate tech and how it can be used to address climate change. A packed conference room listened intently to the panel who discussed a variety of topics including stewardship, environmental concerns, and animal welfare. 

Moderator Burr kicked off the panel session by saying he believes the sustainability of agriculture depends on three things. “Whether you’re in agriculture or food service or retail, the more we can collaborate, communicate and coordinate amongst all of us, the more we can get done together,” Burr stated. 

Echoing that sentiment, Kindberg added, “When we get on the same page and understand that the goal is the same, that’s where we can make a bridge. And that’s where impact happens.” On the topic of stewardship, both Kindberg and Spronk spoke about sustainability and stewardship being used interchangeably at times, and what the words mean to them. "Some may say sustainability, others say stewardship, no matter what we call it, farmers are doing it,” Kindberg said. “My goal as a cattle rancher is to nourish the land. I’m not just a cattle rancher, but I’m a grass grower too.” 

“Ultimately, we’re not the owners of the land we manage, we’re the caretakers of this natural resource,” Spronk said. “Really, we are the stewards taking care of the land for the next generation."

Data-Driven Solutions

The technology that the Silicon Valley is known for is vital to those in animal agriculture as it can enable producers to do more with less and it promotes sustainable practices throughout the supply chain. The panel was asked about data measurement, reporting and how that data can ultimately help to drive innovative improvements to agriculture. 

Dr. Spronk spoke of several examples on his swine farm, such as artificial insemination of their sows, which has helped them specifically breed for more desirable traits. He also added that he uses precision farming and low tillage, both of which have been utilized on his farm for years, because “Simply, they’re the right thing to do. It’s the right thing for our animals, for our soil, and for everyone,” Spronk said. He added that, “Increased efficiency is what farmers have been doing for generations. Just tell us what the goal is, and we’ll match it because if we can measure it, we can manage it.”

Spronk also spoke about integrating more technology on his farm, but cautioned of the potential downstream ramifications, or as he called it, ‘the waterfall effect.’ "If we were to gene edit, which is a clear advantage for pig farmers because we could edit for genes resistant to specific diseases, and that of course would help the health of the pigs. But would consumers be willing to purchase something that had ‘gene edited’ on it?” asked Spronk. That’s something farmers and ranchers must take into consideration when implementing new data and technology that’s available to them. The costs to them to implement the technology is one thing, but then the question of whether consumers will buy products is another."

Kindberg who earned her master’s degree by investigating enteric emissions, performance, and fatty acid profile effects between terminal beef-on-dairy calves, and traditional beef calves, was asked about her research and what that data could mean to the ongoing climate crisis. "I study beef on dairy cattle which are cattle that end up on feedlots but are from dairy origin and I look at emissions in regard to performance and behavior” Kindberg said. “I recently received a CDFA grant that will help to fund my Ph.D. about early life intervention and how we can manage calves at a young age and reduce emissions. The hope there is that we can lower their footprint through their whole life, possibly through things like feed additives."

Spotlight on antibiotic use

Each panelist shared their antibiotic stewardship story as well. On the research and production side, Kindberg confidently told the audience, "There are no antibiotics in meat or dairy." How can she be so confident? Because of a robust system of testing. "In packing plants, when cattle are harvested, every couple of carcasses are tested to ensure there are no antibiotics,” Kindberg explained. “Same goes for milk. All milk that goes to a grocery store is tested for antibiotics.”

Spronk then gave his perspective from the veterinary side, saying antibiotics are by prescriptions only and so as the one writing those prescriptions, he’s the responsible party of record in taking care of that animal, and does so with great care. “I see the issue not so much about antibiotic use, but about antibiotic resistance,” Spronk said. “We thoroughly monitor antibiotic resistance and have a lot of data points we check and strongly believe in responsible use of any antibiotics we may have to use.”

Having a seat at the table

Spronk emphasized the importance of producers having a seat at the table when it comes to policy decisions and being at a conference such as Verge 24 is crucial to them having a say in their future, especially as they try to meet consumer demand while decreasing the environmental impact of animal agriculture. 

"Being at something like this helps us to understand the conversation and you know what’s being discussed,” he said. “And you get a sense if folks really understand what’s going on at the farm. Policies are being made, decisions are being made, markets are being created and sometimes no one even asks us farmers what we think.” He added that he welcomes those not in agriculture to have a curiosity about what he does. He said that this interest can lead to an understanding, which in turn fosters improvement and can lead to even more innovation happening on farms. "If you have a question, ask me or call me.” he said. “Better yet, come out to the farm and I’ll show you what I do.”

Kindberg also spoke about the need to narrow the divide between producers and consumers because it not only shows the transparency growers and consumers want, but it can also build trust between the two. "Opening the door to consumers to really understand where their food comes from and what we’re doing as far as research is concerned is vital and that’s why I’m here today,” Kindberg said.