Caring for our environment

The New Zealand pork industry is proud to be an environmentally sustainable farming industry.

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The nature and size of our industry and our commitment to best practice, means we have a small environmental footprint relative to other parts of the primary production sector.

We encourage our farmers to adopt good management practices, ensuring they are stewards of the environment, sustainably managing water, nutrients and and to preserve and enhance the environment for future generations.

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Climate change

Greenhouse gas emissions from commercial pig farming are low compared to other livestock production sectors. The sector currently contributes just 0.2 per cent of New Zealand’s total agricultural emissions.

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This is partly because pigs’ digestive systems are monogastric – like humans – so they naturally produce much lower methane emissions than ruminant animals like cattle or sheep. Our industry is also much smaller than the pastoral sector and our methods of farming are very different.

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Our goal is for the commercial pig farming sector to be carbon neutral before 2050.

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NZPork, working in conjunction with AgResearch, have developed a tool to allow farmers to estimate their on-farm greenhouse gas emissions. The PigGas NZ tool estimates emissions from livestock and fuel and energy use on farm. Using the tool gives farmers a better understanding of the volume of emissions produced on their farm and where those emissions are coming from. With this knowledge, farmers can understand how changes they have already made have reduced emissions and what more might be possible on farm to improve efficiencies or tackle emissions hotspots.

NZPork is working with farmers to generate emissions estimation reports for all commercial pig farms.

Example reports are available below, showing emissions estimates for a range of different farm scenarios. For more information, contact environment@pork.co.nz or call the NZ Pork office on 03 357 1643.

PigGas Results Outdoor Sows Indoor Growers

PigGas Results Free Range

PigGas Results Indoor Liquid to Anaerobic Pond

PigGas Results Indoor Liquid Fresh Spread

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*Covered effluent ponds significantly reduce methane emissions and, in some cases, the methane captured can be used as biogas on the farm – reducing electricity use.*

Water quality and nutrients‍

Our farmers are committed to farming practices that sustainably manage nutrients, to protect freshwater quality and enhance land productivity.

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Pig manure, like manure from other livestock animals, contains nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients that can contribute to poor water quality when not managed well.

In indoor farming systems, manure is collected, stored and may be treated before being applied to land. This gives farmers a high level of control over when and where nutrients are applied, maximising their value as a fertiliser and minimising losses to the environment.

In outdoor farming systems, farmers can prevent build up of soil nutrients by operating a rotational system within a larger pastoral or arable operation. By regularly rotating the paddocks holding pigs , nutrients can be taken up by subsequent pasture or crops before being exported using ‘cut and carry’ feed methods.

We undertake and access research as required, to improve nutrient management practices and farm efficiencies. We are also promoting access to reliable and accurate tools available to farmers for calculating nutrient loss from pig farming activities.

*Choice of ground cover can change environmental outcomes*

Regulations

Because of the small scale of our industry, pig farming can often be overlooked in local planning and regulatory development and reform.

NZPork works hard to stay up to date with local authority consenting requirements so we can assist our farmers to develop necessary documentation and not only maintain compliance but where possible, stay ahead of the game.

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Taking a Closer Look at the Climate Footprint of New Zealand Pork

Understanding emissions is the first step toward managing them. NZPork has completed its first life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from a representative cross-section of New Zealand pig farms, giving farmers and the wider sector a clearer picture of where emissions arise in pork production and where practical improvement opportunities may exist.

The assessment followed nine commercial farms from different regions, production systems and manure-management approaches. Together, those farms represented about 30 per cent of the national pig herd.

It measured emissions behind the farm gate, including feed production, transport, energy use and manure management. Processing, retail and consumer stages sat outside the scope of the study.

A clearer picture of where emissions come from

Across the nine participating farms, the average carbon footprint was 5.8 kg CO2-e per kilogram of pork deadweight.

The study shows that most emissions are linked to two areas farmers already think carefully about: feed and manure management. Feed production made up around three-quarters of the total footprint, reflecting the emissions associated with growing, processing and transporting feed ingredients. Manure management also mattered, with emissions varying between storage and treatment systems.

Why the study matters

Good climate conversations start with good information. This baseline helps NZPork, farmers and supply-chain partners understand the main drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand pork production, and supports clearer conversations with government, retailers, lenders and customers as expectations around climate-related information continue to grow.

The findings point to feed sourcing, feed formulation, alternative protein sources and manure-management systems as areas worth investigating further. As with any on-farm change, the right options need to make sense in the whole farming system, including animal welfare, productivity, nutrient management, cost and day-to-day practicality.

Building practical tools for farmers

The LCA complements NZPork’s wider climate change work, including PigGas NZ, which helps commercial pig farmers estimate on-farm emissions and consider farm-specific options.

The aim is practical: build credible evidence, turn it into useful tools, and support farmers to keep improving environmental performance over time.

New Zealand’s commercial pig sector contributes a small proportion of national agricultural emissions, and pigs naturally produce much lower enteric methane than ruminant livestock.

This study adds detail to that broader picture by showing where emissions occur within pork production and where future effort may be most useful.

You can find the study here.

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