Consumers are calling for more affordable, sustainable pork which is produced in improved animal welfare systems. This was the context identified by the Dutch Operational Group ‘Data driven project’. The partners have developed a pilot barn concept in which the pigs are monitored in real time using ear-tag sensors so that their surroundings can be adapted to their needs.

“What is it that a pig wants?” This is the question that the project partners asked themselves. Frank Wind from the project explains “Ensuring the pigs are happy is at the core of our project. But what makes a pig happy? Pigs loves rooting, they like to build their own nest and to be in group. They are neat creatures and they like cleanliness.”

This Operational Group aimed to design a new barn concept which would be able to cater to these needs. Het Familievarken is leading the Operational Group, it is an agricultural organisation (pig industry) which focuses on improving animal welfare, costs and profit for the farmer, and impact on neighbours in terms of emissions. They teamed up with researchers from Adaptation Physiology Group Wageningen University, who are working on animal welfare as well as with technology specialists, an animal breeding company, an animal nutrition company and a consultant in animal behaviour IT. They also involved architects and construction experts.