Can precision feeding really reduce the environmental footprint of pig production in Quebec?
In a Quebec-tailored life-cycle assessment, precision feeding reduced modeled climate, acidification, and eutrophication impacts compared with conventional three-phase feeding.
In a Quebec-tailored life-cycle assessment, precision feeding reduced modeled climate, acidification, and eutrophication impacts compared with conventional three-phase feeding.
Problem: Reducing excess nitrogen and phosphorus intake could lower the environmental burden of grow-finish production without necessarily reducing animal performance.
Methods: A Quebec life-cycle assessment using SimaPro compared conventional three-phase group feeding with individually tailored daily precision feeding from ingredient production through finished pig production at the farm gate.
1. Per tonne of live pig weight produced, precision feeding reduced global-warming potential by 7.6%, from 1,954.5 to 1,806.0 kg CO₂-equivalent.
2. It also reduced acidification potential by 16.2% and eutrophication potential by 13.0%, with all three differences statistically significant.
3. This was a modeled life-cycle assessment tailored to a Quebec production context using corn- and soybean-based diets rather than a direct measurement of emissions from every farm using precision feeding.
Original publication
Llorens B, Pomar C, Goyette B, et al. Precision feeding as a tool to reduce the environmental footprint of pig production systems: a life-cycle assessment. Journal of Animal Science. 2024;102:skae225.