Enabling future pork production through sustainable and innovativelearning practices- can immersive learning fast track the adoption of farm management strategies in loose lacation systems?

The importance of this is two-fold; productivity losses are minimised and efficiencies increased, and producer and stockperson interest is maintained as higher animal welfare strategies are validated on farm, meeting consumer expectations.

It is aimed that by developing a new approach to implement knowledge on farms whilst learning from experienced farm staff innovations, significant knowledge will be retained by those involved in the pig industry, resulting in better production figures, higher animal welfare and paying back to the economy of the farm.For this to be evaluated scientifically, clear management messages need to be developed on a specific topic- an initial systematic literature review and visitation of existing loose lactation farms will form the basis for creating evidence-based pig management strategies to pig producers who are in the process of transitioning to loose lactation production.

Contact information PhD Candidate Ashley Norval: ashley.norval@wur.nl