The carbon footprint of British pig farming has dropped by nearly 40% in the past 20 years, according to a new study using a new methodology led by the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS). ) from Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The independent research, funded by the EU, drew its conclusions from historical data on livestock systems in England, Scotland and Wales. Calculating the carbon footprint of an agricultural system is a complex metric that involves a large number of indicators including what type of fuel is used on the farm, how the soil is cultivated, the style of land management and the types of animals. and crops
Globally, agricultural systems have come under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint and the UK government has set a ‘carbon neutral’ agriculture target by 2050.
Changes in feed ingredients have been shown to have the potential to significantly alter the carbon rating of pig farms and the industry as a whole. Specifically, the growing trend of replacing imported soybeans from South America (which has a high environmental footprint associated with deforestation) with local crops such as rapeseed and sunflower meal to feed pigs was found to have a significant mitigating effect. in environmental results.
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