Dr Jessica Stokes

Biography 

Associate Professor in Farm Animal Welfare Science and Policy.

University responsibilities

  • Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Welfare Science and Policy
  • Academic Lead – Agricultural Science and Practice
  • Programme Manager – Graduate Diploma in Agriculture
  • Senior Post Graduate Research Tutor

Professional memberships

Research

Research interests

Jessica’s research and policy development focusses on collaborating with researchers, farmers and industry to reduce negative welfare and promote positive welfare frameworks which facilitate ‘good life’ opportunities for the major livestock species.

Current research projects

  • BroilerNet, 2022-2026, to enhance the resilience and sustainability of the European broiler sector by bringing science and practice together to co-create ready-to-use innovative best practices, SLU, RAU and BPC et al., see https://broilernet.eu/ funding from the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme
  • Pathways to Sustainable Food, 2021-2026, University of Reading, SLU and Royal Agricultural University et al., see https://pathways-project.com/ – funded by Horizon Europe

Current PhD research

  • Optimising animal welfare when using electric shock collars to manage cattle for conservation and rotational grazing - trade-offs between animal welfare and the environment
  • The future of the agricultural industry –education in agricultural literacy, youth motivation, and the case for widening participation

Previous research projects

  • Livestock Welfare Enhancements Payment by Results, 2020-2022, University College Dublin, ADAS and Royal Agricultural University – funded by DEFRA
  • International Federation of Higher Animal Welfare Schemes, 2018-2020, University of Bristol – funded by Farm Animal Welfare Forum and AssureWel
  • Assessment of positive welfare in dairy cattle as a framework for public good payments and national claims of higher welfare 2019, Royal Agricultural University – in collaboration with and support from XL Vets
  • EURAKNOS Connecting Thematic Networks as Knowledge Reservoirs: towards a European Agricultural Knowledge Innovation Open Source System 2019-2020, Royal Agricultural University – funded by EU Horizon 2020 (find out more about the EURAKNOS project)
  • Innovative ways to maintain feather cover in laying hens, 2018, Laying Hen Welfare Forum – funded by EIP Agri, Agriculture and Innovation https://lhwf.co.uk/
  • Collaborative development of positive welfare frameworks with sheep and dairy farmers, 2016-2017, University of Bristol and SRUC – funded by the Scottish Government
  • Hennovation, Practice-led innovation supported by science and market-driven actors in the laying hen and other livestock sectors 2016-2017, University of Bristol – funded by EU Horizon 2020 http://www.hennovation.eu/
  • FeatherWel, Working together to improve bird welfare 2013-2014, University of Bristol  http://www.featherwel.org/
  • Innovative farmers, 2013-2017, Soil Association – part of the Duchy Future Farming Programme  https://www.innovativefarmers.org/
  • AssureWel, Advancing Animal Welfare Assurance, Improving Farm Animal Welfare through Welfare Outcome Assessment 2011-2017, University of Bristol, Soil Association and RSPCA – funded by the Tubney Charitable Trust http://www.assurewel.org/
  • The Healthy Feet Project 2007-2011, University of Bristol – funded by the Tubney Charitable Trust https://www.cattle-lameness.org.uk/
  • PhD 2007-2011, University of Bristol. Novel and existing methods of detecting and treating digital dermatitis in UK dairy cattle – scholarship funded by the Tubney Charitable Trust.
  • MSc 2006-2007, University of Exeter and University of Bristol. Lameness in Dairy Cattle: Relationships between Environments, Animal Based Welfare Measures and Locomotion – self funded.

Teaching

Programme Leader

  • Graduate Diploma in Agriculture

Module Leader

  • Animal Welfare and Health
  • Organic Systems
  • Advocacy and Activism in Food and Farming
  • The Theory and Practice of Knowledge Exchange
  • Technology and Agroecology Innovation

Publications

Academic journal publications

  • Muhammad M, Stokes JE, and Manning L (2022). Positive Aspects of Welfare in Sheep: Current Debates and Future Opportunities. Animals, 12(23), 3265. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani12233265
  • Stokes JE, Rowe E, Mullan S, Pritchard JC, Horler R, Haskell MJ, and Dwyer CM (2022). A “Good Life” for Dairy Cattle: Developing and Piloting a Framework for Assessing Positive Welfare Opportunities Based on Scientific Evidence and Farmer Expertise. Animals, 12(19), 254. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani12192540
  • Muhammad M, Stokes JE, Morgans L, and Manning L (2022). The Social Construction of Narratives and Arguments in Animal Welfare Discourse and Debate. Animals, 12(19), 2582. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani12192582  
  • Havelka Z, Kunes R, Kononets Y, Stokes JE, Smutny L, Olsan P, Kresan J (2022). Technology of Microclimate Regulation in Organic and Energy-Sustainable Livestock Production. Agriculture, 12(10), 1563. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101563
  • Rivero MJ, Grau-Campanario P, Mullan S, Held SDE, Stokes JE, Lee MRF and Cardenas LM (2021). Factors Affecting Site Use Preference of Grazing Cattle Studied from 2000 to 2020 through GPS Tracking: A Review. Sensors, 21, 2696. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21082696
  • Stokes JE, Mullan S, Takahashi T, Monte F, and Main DCJ (2020). Economic and Welfare Impacts of Providing Good Life Opportunities to Farm Animals. Animals, 10 (4), 610. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040610
  • Baker PE, Stokes JE, and Weeks CA (2020). Enabling behaviour change in laying hen farmers using Motivational Interviewing (MI). Proceedings of The 1st International Electronic Conference on Animals — Global Sustainability and Animals: Science, Ethics and Policy, 2020. https://sciforum.net/paper/view/8830
  • Stokes JE, Leach KA, Main DCJ, and Whay HR (2012). An investigation into the use of infrared thermography (IRT) as a rapid diagnostic tool for foot lesions in dairy cattle. The Veterinary Journal, 193, 674-678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.06.052
  • Stokes JE, Leach KA, Main DCJ, and Whay HR (2012). The reliability of detecting digital dermatitis in the milking parlour. The Veterinary Journal, 193, 679-684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.06.053
  • Main DCJ, Stokes JE, Reader JD, Whay HR (2012). Detecting hoof lesions in dairy cattle using a hand-held thermometer. Veterinary Record, 171.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.100533

Policy publication

Conference presentations

  • Stokes JE, Main DCJ, Mullan M, Haskell MJ, Wemelsfelder F and Dwyer CM. Collaborative Development of positive welfare indicators with dairy cattle and sheep farmers. University Federation for Animal Welfare Conference, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK, June 2017.
  • Stokes JE, Main DCJ, Mullan S, Haskell M, Wemelsfelder F and Dwyer CM. Collaborative development of positive welfare indicators in dairy cattle and sheep. ECAWBM/AWSELVA/ESVCE/PSI Animal Congress, Cascais, Portugal, October 2016.
  • Stokes JE Towards a good life for farm animals. Using the good life resource tiers framework to assess a good life in laying hens. Soil Association Annual Conference, Swindon, UK, October 2014.
  • Stokes JE, Still K, Edgar J, Cooper M, Wrathall J and Main DCJ. Assessing laying hen welfare outcomes in the context of the ‘good life’ resource tiers framework. Welfare Assessment at Farm Level Conference, Clermont-Ferrand, France, September 2014.
  • Stokes JE, Bond A, Fraser A, Mullan S and Main DCJ. AssureWel: embedding mobility scoring into farm assurance schemes. Cattle Lameness Conference, University of Nottingham, UK, April 2012.
  • Stokes JE, Leach KA, Main DCJ and Whay HR. Farmers’ Management Strategies for Digital Dermatitis Control in England and Wales. Cattle Lameness Conference, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonnington, UK, April 2011.
  • Stokes JE, Leach KA, Main DCJ and Whay HR. Farmers’ Management Strategies for Digital Dermatitis Control in England and Wales. 16th Symposium and 8th Conference on Lameness in Ruminants, Rotorua, New Zealand, February 2011.
  • Stokes JE, Leach KA, Main DCJ and Whay HR. Can lameness/mobility scoring be used to identify cows with digital dermatitis? Cattle Lameness Conference, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonnington, UK, March 2009.
  • Stokes JE, Barker Z, Bell N, Bell AK, Maggs C, Main DCJ and Whay HR. Lameness in Dairy Cattle: Relationships between Environments, Animal Based Welfare Measures and Locomotion. 15th Symposium and 7th Conference on Lameness in Ruminants, Kuopio, Finland, June 2008.