Invited review: Learning from the future—A vision for dairy farms and cows in 2067

Abstract

The world's population will reach 10.4 billion in 2067, with 81% residing in Africa or Asia. Arable land available for food production will decrease to 0.15 ha per person. Temperature will increase in tropical and temperate zones, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, and this will push growing seasons and dairy farming away from arid areas and into more northern latitudes. Dairy consumption will increase because it provides essential nutrients more efficiently than many other agricultural systems. Dairy farming will become modernized in developing countries and milk production per cow will increase, doubling in countries with advanced dairying systems. Profitability of dairy farms will be the key to their sustainability. Genetic improvements will include emphasis on the coding genome and associated noncoding epigenome of cattle, and on microbiomes of dairy cattle and farmsteads. Farm sizes will increase and there will be greater lateral integration of housing and management of dairy cattle of different ages and production stages. Integrated sensors, robotics, and automation will replace much of the manual labor on farms. Managing the epigenome and microbiome will become part of routine herd management. Innovations in dairy facilities will improve the health of cows and permit expression of natural behaviors. Herds will be viewed as superorganisms, and studies of herds as observational units will lead to improvements in productivity, health, and well-being of dairy cattle, and improve the agroecology and sustainability of dairy farms. Dairy farmers in 2067 will meet the world's needs for essential nutrients by adopting technologies and practices that provide improved cow health and longevity, profitable dairy farms, and sustainable agriculture.

The Irish dairy industry – Recent history and strategy, current state and future challenges

“…Customers in the future are likely to want to know more about the health of the animals producing their product and the environmental impact of the production system (Britt et al . ) and the make‐up of the diet that feeds the animal that produces the milk (O'Brien et al . ).…”

“…Kilcawley (2018) established that dairy products produced from pasture have different sensory characteristics to milk produced from indoor systems and this may be a challenge in establishing markets for pasture-based milk depending on consumer preferences. Customers in the future are likely to want to know more about the health of the animals producing their product and the environmental impact of the production system (Britt et al 2018) and the make-up of the diet that feeds the animal that produces the milk ).…”

Preventing Postpartum Uterine Disease in Dairy Cattle Depends on Avoiding, Tolerating and Resisting Pathogenic Bacteria

“…Preventing endemic diseases is necessary to deliver sustainable intensification of dairy farming, as the dairy industry expands to help feed a projected world of 10.4 billion people by 2067 [79]. Preventing postpartum uterine disease depends on animals avoiding, tolerating and resisting pathogenic bacteria.…”

On-Ground Vineyard Reconstruction Using a LiDAR-Based Automated System

“…The exponential growth of the world's population in the coming years poses an increased pressure to global food production systems. The global population is expected to increase from 7.6 to 10.5 billion people by 2067, while the arable land per capita will decrease by 25% [1]. Moreover, a major ongoing concern in the preservation of the environment leads to a more sustainable agriculture.…”

“…In addition, the use of LiDAR information is easy and fast to process, and it could be incorporated to Precision Farming applications in a short period of time. Many approaches have been already presented [1]. Although the balance between cost/definition needs to be explored, some applications based on branch volume require definition.…”