PSII-22 Assessing the environmental footprint of feed ingredients in pig feed formulation.

Abstract This study aimed at assessing the environmental impact from the feed production in Catalonia (North-Eastern Spain) intended for pig farms with the focus on the ingredients used. Feed mills representing a 41% of the total feed of this type produced in Catalonia were identified. An average feed formula was calculated for each production phase and factory. Geographical origin of the ingredients was considered. Functional unit was 1 kg of feed product, with scope including feed ingredients production and transport to the feed industry. This abstract focusses on the carbon (CC) and water footprint (WF), assessed with models recommended by the EF 3.1 (EC, 2021) using Simapro software and Ecoinvent v3.9 and Agribalyse 3.1.1 for secondary datasets. Footprint of an average European feed (PEFCR, 2024) was calculated with the same criteria used in this study. Average results from Catalan feed were weighted in base to the different production rates (Table 1). Results varied across phases, reducing the carbon footprint as the pig grows. CC values were in the range or lower than the average European carbon footprint (1.36 kg CO2 eq kg-1 feed). Water footprint resulted consistently higher than the average European WF (3.5 m3 eq kg-1 feed). Feed mills average footprints showed large variation of the carbon footprint values but overlapping results for the water footprint values (Figure 1). In relation to the CC, soybean was key due to its link with deforestation practices in its countries of origin like Brazil and Argentina. Maize was key for the WF, together with some other crops (wheat and barley) included in high rates. These cereals, despite being mostly rainfed, still hold a small proportion managed under irrigation that coming from areas with water scarcity like Spain can increase the WF considerably. Reducing the need of irrigated crops or using irrigated crops from areas with less water deficit, can help reducing the feed WF. This can overcome the potential impact from transport as its impact depends more on the means of transport than on the distance itself. To reduce the environmental impact of animal production, it is therefore crucial to consider the effects of the ingredients used. The main challenge to properly reduce this environmental footprint is the traceability of the ingredients, and their specific production practices, as well as the availability of regionalized databases and characterisation factors for environmental impact that allows the feed producing industry to properly address the potential for environmental impact reduction. Further work is needed to promote a feed industry that consistently and reliability incorporates the environmental impact as one more aspect together with availability and affordability of ingredients