Climate, environmental, and biodiversity impacts of organic pig agroforestry system in Denmark

Summary

To evaluate the climate, environmental, and biodiversity impacts of the organic agroforestry pig system, this study analysed a Danish organic agroforestry pig farm as a case study. Specifically, this study aims to 1) assess the climate, environmental, and biodiversity impacts of an organic pig agroforestry production system; and 2) discuss the methodological challenges in assessing the agroforestry pig production system with LCA. In the agroforestry-based pig production system with sows, grass, trees and output of 14 kg weaned piglets, the carbon footprint per piglet was reduced by 5% due to C sequestration in trees. However, when the system also included fattening of slaughter pigs, this effect was diluted, and per kg LW pig, this reduction was only 1%. Biodiversity impacts varied by land-use type: tree and grassland areas provided some mitigation, but annual crop production for feed contributed to biodiversity loss.