Environmental impact of Italian pig herds as affected by farm management factors

Abstract

This study aimed at evaluating the environmental impact (EI) of herds representative of the Italian heavy pig production system to investigate the EI variation associated with farm management (FM), diet formulation (DF) and animal response (AR) variables. Data originated from 8 breeding farms, which included the sows and preweaning piglets (Site1) and the post-weaned piglets (7.5–30 kg body weight – BW, Site2) and 10 growing–fattening farms, dealing with 30–170 kg BW pigs (Site3). A cradle-to-farm gate Life Cycle Assessment was used, with 1 kg BW gain (BWG) as functional unit. Impact categories were global warming (GWP), acidification (AP) and eutrophication (EP) potentials and land occupation (LO). Whole-production cycle EI (Site123, 0–170 kg BW) was obtained summing up EIs of 0–30 and 30–170 kg BW animals. Impacts were analysed with one- or two-way PERMANOVA to test the effect of FM, DF and AR variables. The Site123-related EI averaged nearly 3.1 kg CO₂-eq (GWP), 50 g SO₂-eq (AP), 22 g PO₄-eq (EP) and 4.9 m²/y (LO) per kg BWG. Site3 contributed nearly 80% of the whole impact. Regarding Site1, GWP resulted mitigated by increasing sow productivity. Site2 EI resulted mitigated by decreasing feed conversion ratio and increasing average daily gain, whereas Site3 EI by increasing feed self-sufficiency and decreasing dietary crude protein and mortality. In perspective, given the relevance of Site3 on the whole-pig system EI, a deeper integration between the farm agronomical management and the growing–finishing pigs’ diets formulation would support the environmental sustainability of heavy pig operations.

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Cradle-to-farm gate environmental impact (EI) of Italian heavy pigs was assessed;

2. Farm and diet management, and animal response were evaluated for mitigation aim;

3. Integration between crop management and diet formulation should be explored for pig EI mitigation;

Keywords:

• Life cycle assessment
• heavy pig
• environmental impact
• feed self-sufficiency

Acknowledgements

The Authors thankfully acknowledged Associazione Veneta Allevatori, particularly Dr. Alessandro Caliman, Dr.Andrea Fracasso and Dr. Paolo Paparella, for the technical support and the useful discussions maintained during this study.

Ethical approval

All research reported in this research has been conducted in an ethical and responsible manner, and is in full compliance with all relevant codes of experimentation and legislation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This study was part of MITIGACTIONS project, funded by Rural Development Programme of Veneto Region 2014-2020, misura 16 DGR n° 736/2018. Dr. Marco Berton was supported by REACT EU PON 2014–2021. Ricerca e Innovazione, Asse IV, azione IV.6, funded by Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca.