title: Evaluation of the sustainability of contrasted pig farming systems: integrated evaluation.
abstract: The aim of this paper is to present an approach for an integrated evaluation of the sustainability of pig farming systems, taking into account the three classical pillars: economy, environment and society. Eight sustainability themes were considered: Animal Welfare (AW), Animal Health (AH), Breeding Programmes (BP), Environment (EN), Meat Safety (MS), Market Conformity (MC), Economy (EC) and Working Conditions (WC). A total of 37 primary indicators were identified and used for the evaluation of 15 much contrasted pig farming systems in five EU countries. The results show that the eight themes were not redundant and all contributed to the observed variation between systems. The tool was very robust for highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the systems along the eight themes that were considered. The number of primary indicators could be reduced from 37 to 18 with limited impact on the strengths/weaknesses profile of the individual systems. Integrating the eight theme evaluations into a single sustainability score is based on hypotheses or presumptions on the relative weights that should be given to the eight themes, which are very dependent on the context and on the purpose of the users of the tool. Therefore, the present paper does not have the ambition to provide a ready-for-use tool, rather to suggest an approach for the integrated evaluation of the sustainability of pig farming systems.
authors.affiliation: 1INRA,UMR1348 PEGASE,F-35590 Saint Gilles,France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonneau
authors.affiliation: 2Institute of Animal Science (ITW),Universität Bonn,DE-53115 Bonn,Germany.
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Klauke
authors.affiliation: 3IRTA,Veïnat de Sies,ES-17121 Monells (Girona),Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzàlez
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics,Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU),SE-750 07 Uppsala,Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rydhmer
authors.affiliation: 5IFIP,Pôle Economie,34 Boulevard de la Gare,F-31500 Toulouse,France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ilari-Antoine
authors.affiliation: 1INRA,UMR1348 PEGASE,F-35590 Saint Gilles,France.
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Dourmad
authors.affiliation: 6Wageningen UR Livestock Research,NL-8200 AB Lelystad,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Greef
authors.affiliation: 6Wageningen UR Livestock Research,NL-8200 AB Lelystad,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H W J
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Houwers
authors.affiliation: 2Institute of Animal Science (ITW),Universität Bonn,DE-53115 Bonn,Germany.
authors.forename: M U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Cinar
authors.affiliation: 3IRTA,Veïnat de Sies,ES-17121 Monells (Girona),Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fàbrega
authors.affiliation: 7Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall,DE-74549 Schwäbisch Hall,Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.affiliation: 8Danish Technological Institute,Maglegaardsvej 2,DK-4000 Roskilde,Denmark.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hviid
authors.affiliation: 9Nutreco R&D,Swine Research Centre,NL-3818KC Amersfoort,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van der Oever
authors.affiliation: 10School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development,Newcastle University,GB-NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne,UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D004777:Environment; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*