Life cycle assessment of pigmeat production: Portuguese case study and proposal of improvement options

González‐García, Sara; Belo, Sara; Dias, Ana Cláudia; Rodrigues, João Várzea; Costa, Rosário Roberto da; Ferreira, A. J. D.; Andrade, Luís P.; Arroja, Luís

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.03.048

Cited by 73 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The potential levels of GWP with supplementation would be 85%, 94%, and 70% of unsupplemented alternative in Europe, North America, and South America, respectively. In agreement with our study, feed production was a major contributor to GWP in British broiler (Leinonen et al, 2012) and Portuguese pig (Gonzalez-Garcia et al, 2015) production systems.…”

Section: Global Warming Potentialsupporting

confidence: 92%

Environmental impact of using specialty feed ingredients in swine and poultry production: A life cycle assessment1

Kebreab

Liedke²,

Caro

et al. 2016

Journal of Animal Science

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Livestock production has a variety of environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, acidification, and primary energy consumption. The demand for livestock products is expected to grow substantially, creating even more environmental pressure. The use of specialty feed ingredients (SFI) such as supplemented AA and phytase can reduce nutrient input into the system without compromising productivity and consequently can reduce emissions. The global change impact of using SFI in pig and broiler production systems in Europe and North and South America was studied. A life cycle assessment according to international standards (ISO 14040/44) analyzed contributions from producing SFI and animals to global change. Three different alternatives were analyzed. In addition, partial sensitivity analysis was conducted using 5 scenarios for each region for both production systems. Specialty feed ingredient supplementation in pig and broiler diets reduced greenhouse gas emissions (cradle to farm gate) by 56% and 54% in Europe, 17% and 15% in North America, and 33% and 19% in South America, respectively, compared to an unsupplemented diet. A total of 136 Mt CO 2 equivalent (CO 2 eq) was saved in 2012, rising to 146 Mt CO 2 eq in 2050 on the basis of United Nations population projections. Considerable benefits of supplementation with SFI were apparent in European and South American diets when direct land use change was considered because of the reduced demand for soybean meal. The eutrophication potential of unsupplemented diets was reduced by up to 35% in pig and 49% in broiler production systems compared to supplemented alternatives. The acidification potential of supplemented strategies was reduced by up to 30% in pig and 79% in broiler production systems. The primary energy demand was similar in all alternatives, and this could be an area where the SFI industry can improve. Overall, SFI supplementation substantially reduced the global warming, eutrophication, and acidification potentials in all regions studied.

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Section: Global Warming Potentialsupporting

confidence: 92%

Environmental impact of using specialty feed ingredients in swine and poultry production: A life cycle assessment1

Kebreab

Liedke²,

Caro

et al. 2016

Journal of Animal Science

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“…Our results are slightly higher but comparable to the findings of Basset-Mens and van der Werf (2005) but much higher than the values reported by Dourmad et al (2014) and by González-García et al (2015).…”

Section: Figure 2 Contributions Of Different Activities To Environmesupporting

confidence: 86%

“…In accordance with the conclusion of González-García et al (2015), feed production (both on-farm and off-farm) was the main contributor to all the impact categories analysed, ranging from 63% to 95%. Figure 3 illustrates the contributions to the environmental impact categories of different physiological phases: breeding (gestating and lactating sows plus sucking piglets); weaners (from weaning to 50 kg BW); growing pigs (50-100 kg BW); finishing pigs (100-170 kg BW).…”

Section: Figure 2 Contributions Of Different Activities To Environmesupporting

confidence: 81%

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Environmental impact of the typical heavy pig production in Italy

Bava

Zucali

Sandrucci

et al. 2017

Journal of Cleaner Production

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The Italian pig sector is mainly focused on the production of heavy pigs used for the traditional drycured hams. At slaughter a minimum of 160 kg and 9 months age are required to comply with the production specifications of the ham consortia. Advancing livestock age and increasing fat deposition negatively affect feed conversion ratio, which is one of the main determinants of meat production environmental impact. The aim of the study was to provide a first evaluation of the environmental impact potentials of heavy pig production in Italy through a Life Cycle Assessment approach.Additional objectives were to identify the main hot spots and the most important data gaps in the analysis. A cradle to farm gate Life Cycle Assessment was performed in 6 intensive pig farms located in Northern Italy. Key parameters concerning on-farm activities, inputs and outputs were collected through personal interviews to the farmers. The functional unit was 1 kg liveweight. Direct land use change was considered in the emissions of imported soybean. The average pig slaughter liveweight was 168.7±33.3 kg. Environmental impacts per kg liveweight were generally higher than those generated in the production of pigs slaughtered at a lighter weight. The global warming potential was on average 4.25±1.03 kg CO2 eq/kg liveweight. Feed chain (crop production at farm and purchased feed) was the major source of impact for all the categories and the most important hotspot of heavy pig production. Farm size and reproductive efficiency are important factors in the environmental burden of heavy pig production: the largest and most efficient farm (as liveweight produced per sow) had impact potentials per kg liveweight much lower than those generated in the less efficient farm and similar to the ones reported on pigs slaughtered at a lower weight. The wide range of impact values within farms reveals opportunities for environmental improvements in the production of the traditional heavy pig. There is a need for further data and models on methane enteric emissions and nitrogen excretions above 100 kg of liveweight. HIGHLIGHTS Italian typical dry-cured ham production needs high pig weight and age at slaughter  Environmental impacts of heavy pig through the Life Cycle approach were assessed  Data were collected through personal interviews in 6 pig farms located in Northern Italy  Heavy pigs have impacts of per kg liveweight generally higher than light pigs  The wide range of impacts within farms reveals opportunities for GHG mitigation

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“…[24] regarding livestock protein feed production and the impact on land use and GHG emissions; ref. [25] in Portugal concerning the LCA of pig-meat production; ref. [26] in Denmark regarding an environmental assessment; ref.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bi-Objective Optimization Model Based on Profit and CO2 Emissions for Pig Deliveries to the Abattoir

2018

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This paper presents a bi-objective model for optimizing pig deliveries to the abattoir accounting for total revenue and CO 2 emissions. Fattening farms house the most important stage in pig production, and operations on farms must be coordinated with the rest of the pig supply chain when batch management is generally applied. The novelty of the model lies in the change of attitude in producers towards a greener production, which is becoming one of the major concerns in our society. In this context, we enrich the classical approach focused on revenues with the addition of the CO 2 emissions from the pigs on the fattening farms. Emissions derived from feeding and transportation are considered since they are the most important sources of CO 2 . The model is tested using parameters representing a typical integrated Spanish fattening farm. Our findings reveal the impact and the relationship between revenues and emissions, highlight that the break-even is reached achieving 459 kg of CO 2 per pig, which corresponds to a reduction of 6.05%. On the other hand, the profit is slightly reduced by 4.48% in favor of the environment.

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Life cycle assessment of pigmeat production: Portuguese case study and proposal of improvement options

Cited by 73 publications

References 27 publications

Environmental impact of using specialty feed ingredients in swine and poultry production: A life cycle assessment1

Environmental impact of using specialty feed ingredients in swine and poultry production: A life cycle assessment1

Environmental impact of the typical heavy pig production in Italy

Bi-Objective Optimization Model Based on Profit and CO2 Emissions for Pig Deliveries to the Abattoir

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