By Franz Waxenecker, Senior Director Precision Services, dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition and Health
Pig production plays a relatively small but increasingly scrutinised role in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the INTERpig Conference in St. Pölten (June 2025), new European data was presented including outcomes from an Austrian pilot project which used Sustell™ to quantify carbon footprints on pig farms.
This article summarizes the presentation which covered where emissions come from in pork production and highlighted how feed formulations and specifically protein sourcing can impact sustainability on farm.
Efficiencies and improvements have reduced agricultural GHG emissions by 16% since 1990.
Since 1990, GHG emissions attributable to the agriculture industry have fallen by 16%. This is equivalent to a 30% reduction in per capita emissions over the same period and is a result of improvements in genetics, management practices and other efficiencies.
The biggest contributor from the agricultural sector are biogenic emissions, which includes methane (CH4) and nitrogen oxide (N2O) from enteric fermentation, animal manure and artificial fertilizers. Fuel and energy consumption only account for just over 12% of emissions from agriculture.
Figure 1. The natural and anthropogenic carbon cycles
Figure 1 illustrates the natural carbon cycle (in green) and the black or anthropogenic carbon cycle.
Anthropogenic emissions come from three sources as discussed in this previous article.
Food is part of the natural carbon cycle.
In the course of agricultural production, “green” CO2 is captured from the atmosphere for the production of food from plant- and animal-origin. In addition – from the operation of machinery and equipment, fertilizer production, transport activities, heating and cooling - the so called “anthropogenic” carbon dioxide (shown in black) is released into the atmosphere. This “black” carbon dioxide is determined as part of environmental accounting and represents the carbon footprint of feed and food products.
In pig production, fossil emissions account for 40-60% of the carbon footprint and biogenic emissions for 10-30%. The highest variability comes from LUC-emissions, which can account for 0-30%, depending on the origin of feed ingredients.
To measure these sources, the theoretical carbon cycle is applied to a farm, and the system boundaries are defined. There follows the complex task of collecting data from multiple sources, combining it and analysing it to calculate the carbon footprint of production.
The first step to improving sustainability is accurately measuring the baseline
Sustell™ is a new platform which simplifies this whole complex process and enables producers to monitor the sustainability of their operations.
The Sustell™ pilot project in Austria was carried out in conjunction with industry leaders. Data collection was facilitated between October 2023 and February 2024. In total, 18 pig farms were assessed for their cradle-to-gate carbon footprints. Analysis and interpretation were done using Sustell™.
Figure 2. Carbon footprint in swine farming
Figure 2 shows the carbon footprint of all 18 farms included in the analysis. The lightest blue section at the top of each column relates to the carbon footprint that each animal accumulates before it arrives at the finishing farm. The middle blue section relates to emissions from the manure- and ventilation systems. The emissions from energy and fuel consumption are relatively low across all farms, shown in darker-middle blue. Those three sections are relatively consistent across the farms.
The main differences are seen in the dark blue section at the bottom of each column which relates to the feed. There is a 100% increase from the lowest to the highest.
Taking Farm 9 as a typical example, the data revealed a carbon footprint of 3.97 kg CO2-eq. Most of this amount (2.18 kg CO2-eq) came from the feed. On all farms, feed is the dominant driver, accounting for up to 75% of the total carbon footprint (Figure 3).
The large variation between the farms demonstrates that despite having similar production goals, management and feed choices have a big influence on climate impact.
Figure 3. Comparison of the carbon footprint of Farm 9 and Farm 1
The biggest differences between farms in the pilot project were found when you look at the source of the protein in the feed formulation. Soybean meal from countries with low land-use change has a significantly lower carbon footprint than soybean meal sourced from high LUC-regions. This is due to the land use change (LUC) impact. Where soybean is grown in regions of deforestation, the LUC contribution is much higher than in other low-risk regions. This is illustrated in Figure 3 which compares the carbon footprints of Farm 9 and Farm 1. Farm 9 used high-LUC soy and Farm 1 used low-LUC soy.
Feed drives most of the carbon footprint. The protein source can double a farm’s emissions.
Before reductions in these areas can be achieved, farms must establish a scientifically robust baseline aligned with international life cycle assessment (LCA) norms and standards.
Sustell™ offers farm-specific, transparent and standardised calculations of environmental impacts, providing precise environmental footprinting for everyone across the value chain.
Pig production represents just over 1% of global GHG emissions and yet still offers meaningful opportunities for mitigation. By focusing on feed-related emissions including protein sourcing, farms can significantly improve their environmental footprint.
Pig production can therefore contribute to climate solutions when guided by robust data, responsible feed choices and evidence-based management strategies.
In agriculture today, ambition isn’t the problem. Proof is. Because the future isn’t built on promises. It’s built on numbers. Credible. Comparable. Actionable.
As sustainability moves from the margins to the core of every business, the question isn’t “Are we doing the right thing?”. It’s “Can we show it? Can we improve it? Can we own it?”
Sustell™ was developed by dsm-firmenich to help agri-food businesses go beyond bold claims. To make sustainability performance measurable, manageable, and profitable. In the feedmill, on the farm, in the value chain. Whether you're aiming to reduce emissions, unlock green capital, meet Scope 3 demands, or tell your integrity narrative: Don't make it just better. Unlock the value of your footprint. Make it measurable, traceable and certifiable.
09 March 2026
