Synergetic Benefits for a Pig Farm and Local Bioeconomy Development from Extended Green Biorefinery Value Chains

Abstract

As the global population rises, agriculture and industry are under increasing pressure to become more sustainable in meeting this growing demand, while minimizing impacts on global emissions, land use change, and biodiversity. The development of efficient and symbiotic local bioeconomies can help to respond to this challenge by using land, resources, and side streams in efficient ways tailored to the needs of different regions. Green biorefineries offer a unique opportunity for regions with abundant grasslands to use this primary resource more sustainably, providing feed for cows, while also generating feed for monogastric animals, along with the co-production of biomaterials and energy. The current study investigates the impact of a green biorefinery co-product, leaf protein concentrate (LPC), for input to a pig farm, assessing its impact on pig diets, and the extended impact on the bioenergy performance of the pig farm. The study found that LPC replaced soya bean meal at a 50% displacement rate, with pigs showing positive performance in intake and weight gain. Based on laboratory analysis, the resulting pig slurry demonstrated a higher biogas content and 26% higher biomethane potential compared with the control slurry. The findings demonstrate some of the local synergies between agricultural sectors that can be achieved through extended green biorefinery development, and the benefits for local bioeconomy actors.

A Business Case for Climate Neutrality in Pasture-Based Dairy Production Systems in Ireland: Evidence from Farm Zero C

“…Previous work from [70] has highlighted the potential for press cake to replace silage in dairy cow diets, achieving comparable milk yields, while offering a reduction in nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) excrement losses and delivering a higher nitrogen use efficiency. Work by [71,72] has shown that the extracted protein LPC can serve as a suitable replacement for imported soya bean meal in the diets of pigs. By creating "off-farm" products, the biorefinery approach can help the farm to achieve further environmental benefits by enabling a redistribution of the environmental impacts associated with grassland production.…”

Circular Bioeconomy Practices in the Greek Pig Sector: The Environmental Performance of Bakery Meal as Pig Feed Ingredient

“…CBE is described as the interaction between bioeconomy and circular economy with the goal of producing bio-based goods, utilizing organic waste, and lowering GHG emissions [11,12]. CBE has been proposed as a promising solution to GHG emissions reduction within the wider agricultural and livestock sectors, while also providing new business and innovation opportunities in traditional primary production [13].…”