Transformation and Sustainable Development of China’s Pig Industry in the Post-African Swine Fever Era: A One Health Perspective

The 2018 African swine fever (ASF) outbreak disrupted China’s pig industry but spurred transformations in production, organisation, and governance. Using the One Health framework, this study examines post-ASF dynamics across animal health, environmental sustainability, public health, and economic sustainability. The findings indicate the following: (1) Policy, investment, biosecurity, and digital tech enabled rapid production recovery, yet the growth rate of production has significantly outpaced that of consumption, raising periodic overcapacity risks. (2) The shift from farrow-to-finish to specialised, large-scale operations improves efficiency and risk control but intensifies environmental pressure. (3) Digital tools and biosecurity promote precision and health-oriented farming. (4) Key sustainability challenges include crop–livestock decoupling, low manure utilisation, animal welfare gaps, and antimicrobial stewardship. The analysis reveals that while economic sustainability has driven rapid capacity recovery, it increasingly conflicts with environmental and animal health objectives. Therefore, the future pathways should adopt One Health to integrate capacity optimisation, green recycling, biosecurity governance, and digital transformation, balancing economic returns, animal health, environmental protection, and public health security.