The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and McDonald’s Corporation have announced that three of the six research projects funded in Phase I of the SMART Broiler Program have been selected to continue into Phase II. In 2019, $4 million was awarded to research teams to develop monitoring technologies to improve broiler welfare in Phase I.  These included Sensors, Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technologies to replace observational and subjective scoring.

Studies will be conducted at the Tyson Foods Broiler Research facility in Arkansas and at the Master Good unit in Kisvarda, Hungary. The three projects to be funded in Phase 11 are: -

• Audio T, established at Georgia Tech University, will develop an audio-monitoring system to analyze flock vocalizations to be used in conjunction with video observation.
• The University of Oxford will refine a computer system termed ‘Optiflock’ to evaluate locomotory dysfunction including foot-pad lesions and lameness.
• The Queens University Belfast will apply artificial intelligence techniques to track individual birds within a flock.

Remi Rocca, Senior Director, Sustainable Sourcing for McDonald’s, stated, “We are proud to partner with FFAR and to take this next step in the SMART Broiler Program aimed at assisting farmers and providing greater levels of care for their birds.”  She added, “The collaborative work with FFAR, McDonald’s producers, including Tyson, Master Good and Moy Park and allied associations such as USPOULTRY as well as scientists and innovators is an excellent example of public-private partnerships that prioritize animal health and welfare.”