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An environmental assessment of pork production
Feed production and slurry handling are the most
polluting links in the Danish pork production chain, whereas pig transport
pollutes only slightly.
Such are the results of a report by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences,
University of Aarhus in Denmark.
Using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, the study aims to present
data for the environmental profile of pork to identify the most polluting parts
of the production chain. It is based on data from 2005.
Findings
The greatest contributions to global warming,
eutrophication and acidification are from feed production and from manure
handling in pig housing and during storage according to the report. Slurry
applied to the fields also contributes significantly to eutrophication.
Reduced environmental effect
The scientists found that
the environmental effect per kg pork has fallen since 1995.
Environmental improvements have primarily been achieved because of lower feed
and protein consumption and improved manure handling. However, there is still
room for improvement.
In particular, greenhouse gas emission per kg pork can be reduced by using
the slurry for biogas and using the biogas for production of electricity and
heat.
The publication "Danish Pork Production - An
Environmental Assessment" is available here.
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