Life-cycle assessment of farrow-to-finish pig production systems: a review.
2011
Lammers, P. J.
Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a holistic approach to quantifying and comparing resource use and associated environmental impacts of a product, good or service. Pork is the most widely consumed meat globally and LCA methodology has been used to compare different pig production scenarios. This paper reviews LCAs of different farrow-to-finish swine systems. Generally, alternative systems (organic production, production with an emphasis on animal welfare or other niche markets) require more land per unit than conventional systems. Energy use is sometimes, but not always, lower in alternative systems. Greenhouse gas emissions are closely linked with energy use. In some situations, conventional production results in less acidification and eutrophication, but in other cases, alternative systems have lower impacts. Growing and processing pig diets was the largest single influence on resource use and resultant environmental impact. Thus, feed efficiency is a critical control point in pig production systems. Differences in acidification and eutrophication between systems can largely be explained by underlying assumptions of crop nutrient management, including manure storage and utilization. Coupling biogas and pig production, where feasible, may offset much of the energy used for pig production. Efforts to reduce resource use and environmental impacts of pig production should not ignore the under-utilized nutrient resources present in rejected foodstuffs, rendered animal products and co-products of biofuel production.
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