Rethinking pig feed can reduce CO2 footprint in agriculture

The aim of Danish agriculture is to be carbon neutral by 2050. Moreover, under the Climate Act, the Danish Parliament has set a target for a 70 per cent reduction by 2030. To achieve this, a number of companies and scientists have joined forces to bring about a substantial reduction of CO2 in pig feed. It seems that pig feed has a substantial impact as around 70 per cent of the general footprint from pigs stems from feed mixtures. This means that there will be a particular need for pre-mixed feed with a lower carbon footprint.

The EU has put particular emphasis on identifying methods for measuring the carbon footprint of pig feed. A database called the Global Feed LCA Institute (GLFI), which calculates the carbon footprint of feed, shows that palm oil and non-certified soy products, which are typical ingredients in pig feed, increase the carbon footprint. Omitting the two ingredients can help to reduce the carbon footprint of feed by up to 50 per cent if land use (LUC - Local Development Plan) is included in the accounts. 

Despite the fact that several feed companies have used other fat sources or a reduced fat content, there is still a need for a rethinking of pig feed ingredients to reduce the carbon footprint.

"We need solutions that can help the industry reduce its CO2 emissions. It’s important that we show that by working with innovation companies and universities, our sector can develop solutions that will reduce CO2 emission in Danish pig meat,”

Christian Fink Hansen, Sector Director of the Danish Agriculture & Food Council’s Pig Sector.

SEGES Innovation and several well-known Danish feed companies have joined forces to find alternative solutions to feed mixtures with a reduced CO2 footprint. The Danish companies, including DLG, Danish Agro, BAT Agrar and Hedegaard, have put forward proposals for a more climate-friendly feed mixture for finishers.

The results have shown that the use of Danish crops such as broad beans and peas have a greater potential to reduce the carbon footprint compared to sunflower and rapeseed meal/cakes as an alternative to the use of soybean meal. We work with well-known protein sources such as rapeseed, broad beans and peas, but more alternative protein sources, such as green protein, are also being used,” explains Tina Sødring Bech Petersen, Special Consultant, SEGES Innovation.

DLG, Danish Agro, BAT Agrar and Hedegaard have put forward proposals for a more climate-friendly feed mixture for finishers. In particular, the feed from Hedegaard demonstrates feed efficiency while the feed from the other three companies reduces the carbon footprint by approximately 50 per cent compared to the control group.

Reducing the CO2 footprint from pig feed is also expected to become a government requirement. It will therefore be important for pig producers to consider which feed mixtures are used in the future. Going forward, pig producers can expect that a label will be included in the feed indicating the carbon footprint. Pig producers can also make use of the digital tool ESGreen Tool, which gives producers an insight into the consequences that a change in the feed mixture can have on the farm’s general carbon footprint.