This article presents the results of an initial impact study that evaluated several potential intervention strategies at reducing the carbon footprint of pig production. The impact of the different interventions was calculated using Opteinics® LCA software* and compared against the baseline closed-herd farm.
A baseline farm was identified based on average figures (Table 1). In the various scenarios, the feed ration was kept the same, but the technical parameters were modified. In each scenario, one technical parameter was improved from the baseline situation and the carbon footprints were compared. In Figure 1, the carbon footprint of each scenario is weighted relative to the baseline situation. The different scenarios have been grouped according to the fattening phase (dark green), piglet production (light green) plus columns where they are all combined (stripped). As manure management is also important, a scenario was added where the manure was stored and further processed in a biodigester (red).
Conclusion
- Interventions during the fattening phase had the biggest impact.
- Production efficiencies such as FCR, daily gain and slaughter weight had a bigger impact than reducing mortality.
- Although piglet production has an overall lower impact, working on increasing piglet production does help reduce the overall carbon footprint.
* Opteinics, a trademark of BASF, is an LCA software tool allowing the calculation of the environmental impact per kg carcass weight of livestock production.
