Ph.D. Project: Life cycle assessment and techno-economic assessment of heat stress monitoring/mitigation strategies for the livestock sector (funded, $30,000 annually for 4 years)

General

$expand_more

$expand_less

Introduction

Livestock and poultry together account for over 50% of farm cash receipts in the ~$15 billion agriculture sector in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Industry-disclosed data suggests mortality rates as high as 5-10% in the BC egg and broiler industries during the June 2021 heat dome event as well as an undetermined number among dairy and beef herds. Longer-term effects on productivity due to heat stress are also likely, with a combination of negative resource, environmental (including increased GHG emissions), economic, and animal welfare implications. The viability of livestock production is similarly influenced by feed crop availability and prices, both of which have been significantly impacted by heat and drought across the Canadian prairies this year. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada estimates a 27% decrease in Canadian field crop production in 2021 due to drought conditions. A variety of potential technological and managerial strategies (spanning a spectrum from low-tech ventilation and active cooling to advanced sensors and AI applications to gene editing solutions) are available to monitor and mitigate heat stress risk in livestock. However, outside of basic ventilation systems, few have been implemented in the BC livestock sector to date. Moreover, their comparative feasibility (including affordability, technological maturity, and ease of implementation), relative efficacy (taking into account animal performance, resource/environmental, and animal welfare considerations), and stakeholder acceptability are unknown. This four year, funded Ph.D. project will answer this challenge by: Identifying available heat stress monitoring/mitigation technologies; Mapping the heat risk for BC livestock populations under regionalized climate change projections; and Utilizing environmental life cycle assessment and techno-economic assessments to determine and compare and sustainability benefits and trade-offs associated with a subset of priority heat stress monitoring/mitigation solutions. Project outputs will include a Ph.D. dissertation, presentation of results at poultry industry association professional meetings, conference presentations, and submission of study results for publication in peer-reviewed venues. This project will begin in September 2022.

$expand_more

$expand_less

Gallery

$expand_more

$expand_less

Admissions

$expand_more

$expand_less

Scholarships and Funding

$expand_more

$expand_less

About the School

UBC PRISM Lab

The Food Systems Priority Research for Integrated Sustainability Management (PRISM) Lab, located at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus, is a hub for cross-cutting research at the int ... Read More

Kelowna

View School Profile

$expand_more

$expand_less

Ask a Question

General Information

Can you send me more information about this program?

Program Dates

When is the application deadline for this program?

What is the start date for this program?

Tuition & Fees

How much does this program cost?

Can I pay for this program in installments?

Program Type & Duration

Is this program available online?

What is the duration of this program?

Is this program offered part-time or full-time?

Study Place

Where is this school located?

Where is the campus located?

Funding

What other funding options do you have for this program?

How to Apply

What documents are required to apply to this program?

What is the admission process for this program?

Language

In what language is this program taught?

Ph.D. Project: Life cycle assessment and techno-economic assessment of heat stress monitoring/mitigation strategies for the livestock sector (funded, $30,000 annually for 4 years)

General

Introduction

Gallery

Admissions

Scholarships and Funding

About the School

UBC PRISM Lab

UBC PRISM Lab

Ask a Question

General Information

Program Dates

Tuition & Fees

Program Type & Duration

Study Place

Funding

How to Apply

Language

Other