Livestock traceability systems in Britain and the European Union involving the allocation of unique lifetime identifiers to individual animals create new possibilities for integrating large quantities of data about animals’ health, management, productivity and movements. Yet there is currently little investigation into how such data should be used and governed, including whom it should benefit. This project uses the case of sheep farming in Britain to ask: What visions do diverse actors in the sector have for data integration and governance, what issues, challenges and tensions arise from these visions? The research, currently in progress, draws on documentary analysis, focus groups and interviews with actors across the British sheep industry in order to identify principles for the responsible development of national livestock data systems that are inclusive and responsive to the needs of diverse communities.
This research has been included in the University of Exeter’s Images of Research competition 2024.