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Evaluation of the sustainability of contrasted pig farming systems: breeding programmes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2014

L. Rydhmer ,
J. L. Gourdine ,
K. de Greef  and
M. Bonneau
L. Rydhmer*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
J. L. Gourdine
Affiliation:
INRA, UR143 Tropical Animal Science Unit, F-97170 Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
K. de Greef
Affiliation:
Wageningen UR, Livestock Research, NL-8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
M. Bonneau
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR1348 PEGASE, F-35590 Saint Gilles, France
*
†E-mail: Lotta.Rydhmer@slu.se
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Abstract

The sustainability of breeding activities in 15 pig farming systems in five European countries was evaluated. One conventional and two differentiated systems per country were studied. The Conventional systems were the standard systems in their countries. The differentiated systems were of three categories: Adapted Conventional with focus on animal welfare, meat quality or environment (five systems); Traditional with local breeds in small-scale production (three systems) and Organic (two systems). Data were collected with a questionnaire from nine breeding organisations providing animals and semen to the studied farming systems and from, on average, five farmers per farming system. The sustainability assessment of breeding activities was performed in four dimensions. The first dimension described whether the market for the product was well defined, and whether the breeding goal reflected the farming system and the farmers’ demands. The second dimension described recording and selection procedures, together with genetic change in traits that were important in the system. The third dimension described genetic variation, both within and between pig breeds. The fourth dimension described the management of the breeding organisation, including communication, transparency, and technical and human resources. The results show substantial differences in the sustainability of breeding activities, both between farming systems within the same category and between different categories of farming systems. The breeding activities are assessed to be more sustainable for conventional systems than for differentiated systems in three of the four dimensions. In most differentiated farming systems, breeding goals are not related to the system, as these systems use the same genetic material as conventional systems. The breeds used in Traditional farming systems are important for genetic biodiversity, but the small scale of these systems renders them vulnerable. It is hoped that, by reflecting on different aspects of sustainability, this study will encourage sustainable developments in pig production.

Keywords

sustainable productiongenetic resourcesassessmentpigs
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 8 , Issue 12 , December 2014 , pp. 2016 - 2026
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

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Supplementary material: File

Rydhmer Supplementary Material

Tables S1-S4

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Supplementary material: File

Rydhmer Supplementary Material

Tables S1-S4

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