Environmental benefits of Paylean~R use in United States finisher swine

摘要

Ractopamine hydrochloride (Paylean~R, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN) is a phenethanolamine-repar-titioning agent with beta-agonist activity that redirects nutrients away from fat deposition to increase the amount of protein in the carcass. Theresult is improved production efficiency through enhanced feed efficiency and increased growth rate, fewer days to market, and less feed used. The effects on carcass composition and growth performance are well documented, but the resulting impact of Paylean also extends into environmental benefits. Sustainable methods of agricultural production (balancing environmental, social, and economic priorities in decision-making) have focused on saving water, energy and soil. Modern methods of farming are generally viewed as negative to the environment. For example the Pew Commission on Industrial Animal Agriculture stated that "The present system of producing food animals in the United States is not sustainable and presents an unacceptable ... damage to the environment, ... " In fact, recent studies in dairy have shown that increased production efficiency has resulted in very substantial improvements in environmental and resource stewardship. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the magnitude of the role that Paylean plays in environmental stewardship, as a result of ractopamine's mode-of-action.