Environmental impacts of housing and manure management systems in European pig production, through a life cycle perspective

摘要

The potential of modifications to housing systems and manure management to reduce the environmental impacts of European pig production systems was evaluated using a life cycle assessment (LCA).Pork production is regarded to be among the highest contributors in eutrophication and acidification of fresh water bodies and agricultural land respectively. Non-renewable resources and energy use in pig production are also related to a large amount ofemissions and negative environmental impacts. Evidence suggests that the pig housing and manure management systems significantly affect emissions associated with pig production. The aim of this study was the development of an LCA framework able to evaluate pig production systems through a holistic approach and quantify the effect of the pig housing and manure management components, along with their interrelations, on the environmental impacts linked to pig production.