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Life Cycle Assessment of Iberian Traditional Pig Production System in Spain

Author

Listed:
  • Javier García-Gudiño

    (Animal Welfare Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology—IRTA, 17121 Monells, Spain)

  • Alessandra N. T. R. Monteiro

    (PEGASE, INRAE, Agrocampus Ouest, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France)

  • Sandrine Espagnol

    (IFIP, Institut du porc, 35651 Le Rheu, France)

  • Isabel Blanco-Penedo

    (Department of Clinical Sciences, SLU, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden)

  • Florence Garcia-Launay

    (PEGASE, INRAE, Agrocampus Ouest, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France)

Abstract

Traditional Iberian pig production is characterized by outdoor systems that produce animals fed with natural resources. The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impacts of such systems through Life Cycle Assessment. Environmental impacts were analysed per kilogram of live weight at farm gate. Iberian pig production in montanera had the lowest impacts for climate change (CC), acidification (AC), eutrophication (EU) and cumulative energy demand (CED), being 3.4 kg CO 2 eq, 0.091 molc H + eq, 0.046 kg PO 4 3− eq, and 20.7 MJ, respectively, due to the strict use of natural resources (acorns and grass) during the fattening period. As Iberian farms had a greater dependence on compound feed in cebo campo , environmental impacts on CC, AC, EU and CED were 22, 17, 95 and 28% higher, respectively, than with montanera . For land occupation (LO), however, cebo campo had a lower impact (31.6 m 2 ·year) than montanera (43.0 m 2 ·year) system. Traditional Iberian pig production systems have environmental impacts higher than conventional systems studied in literature but are similar to other traditional systems. Based on the present assessment, it is necessary to account for the contribution of emissions resulting from the consumption of natural resources to avoid the underestimation of environmental impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Javier García-Gudiño & Alessandra N. T. R. Monteiro & Sandrine Espagnol & Isabel Blanco-Penedo & Florence Garcia-Launay, 2020. "Life Cycle Assessment of Iberian Traditional Pig Production System in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:2:p:627-:d:308885
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Gwendolyn Rudolph & Stefan Hörtenhuber & Davide Bochicchio & Gillian Butler & Roland Brandhofer & Sabine Dippel & Jean Yves Dourmad & Sandra Edwards & Barbara Früh & Matthias Meier & Armelle Prunier &, 2018. "Effect of Three Husbandry Systems on Environmental Impact of Organic Pigs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, October.
    4. Stanley, Paige L. & Rowntree, Jason E. & Beede, David K. & DeLonge, Marcia S. & Hamm, Michael W., 2018. "Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 249-258.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mayra L. Pazmiño & Angel D. Ramirez, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment as a Methodological Framework for the Evaluation of the Environmental Sustainability of Pig and Pork Production in Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, October.
    2. Benedetta Esposito & Maria Rosaria Sessa & Daniela Sica & Ornella Malandrino, 2020. "Towards Circular Economy in the Agri-Food Sector. A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-21, September.
    3. Javier García-Gudiño & Elena Angón & Isabel Blanco-Penedo & Florence Garcia-Launay & José Perea, 2022. "Targeting Environmental and Technical Parameters through Eco-Efficiency Criteria for Iberian Pig Farms in the dehesa Ecosystem," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Mario Rafael Giraldi-Díaz & Eduardo Castillo-González & Lorena De Medina-Salas & Raúl Velásquez-De la Cruz & Héctor Daniel Huerta-Silva, 2021. "Environmental Impacts Associated with Intensive Production in Pig Farms in Mexico through Life Cycle Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-20, October.
    5. Antonia Katharina Ruckli & Sabine Dippel & Nora Durec & Monika Gebska & Jonathan Guy & Juliane Helmerichs & Christine Leeb & Herman Vermeer & Stefan Hörtenhuber, 2021. "Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Pig Farms in Selected European Countries: Combining LCA and Key Performance Indicators for Biodiversity Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-19, October.
    6. Dolores Ayuso & Ana González & Francisco Peña & Francisco I. Hernández-García & Mercedes Izquierdo, 2020. "Effect of Fattening Period Length on Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Fatty Acid Profiles in Iberian Pigs Finished in the Montanera Sustainable System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-12, September.
    7. Miguel Vigil & Maria Pedrosa Laza & Henar Moran-Palacios & JV Alvarez Cabal, 2020. "Optimizing the Environmental Profile of Fresh-Cut Produce: Life Cycle Assessment of Novel Decontamination and Sanitation Techniques," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-17, May.

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