Practice Abstract - Research and innovation

PA4: The synergies between arable, trees and pig farming
AGROMIX Pilot Site: Carl Sheard, the Blue Pig Farm, France

PA4: The synergies between arable, trees and pig farming
AGROMIX Pilot Site: Carl Sheard, the Blue Pig Farm, France

The Blue Pig Farm is an organic pig farm in western France, a mixed farming pilot site monitored by the French research Institute for organic food and farming (ITAB), including 6.6 hectares that integrate agroforestry and fodder crops for pigs. The land manager’s motivations for integrating crops and livestock were to combine different kinds of fodder to increase pig feed autonomy, enhance animal welfare, and improve meat quality.

Since integrating crops, livestock and trees using a mixed farming system, the farm manager noticed a variety of additional benefits, including offering shade and protection for the pigs, and the natural fertilisation of crops with pig excrement. In the future, the land manager hopes to evaluate whether the nutrients from pig excrement increase production and improve crop quality, under more rigorous testing.

However, the manager of the Blue Pig Farm also recognised that implementing mixed farming has been challenging at times, highlighting the difficulties of understanding the interaction between the different elements when it came to introducing pigs into the land where fodder crops were being produced.

The Blue Pig Farm is an organic pig farm in western France, a mixed farming pilot site monitored by the French research Institute for organic food and farming (ITAB), including 6.6 hectares that integrate agroforestry and fodder crops for pigs. The land manager’s motivations for integrating crops and livestock were to combine different kinds of fodder to increase pig feed autonomy, enhance animal welfare, and improve meat quality.

Since integrating crops, livestock and trees using a mixed farming system, the farm manager noticed a variety of additional benefits, including offering shade and protection for the pigs, and the natural fertilisation of crops with pig excrement. In the future, the land manager hopes to evaluate whether the nutrients from pig excrement increase production and improve crop quality, under more rigorous testing.

However, the manager of the Blue Pig Farm also recognised that implementing mixed farming has been challenging at times, highlighting the difficulties of understanding the interaction between the different elements when it came to introducing pigs into the land where fodder crops were being produced.

Source Project
AGROforestry and MIXed farming systems - Participatory research to drive the transition to a resilient and efficient land use in Europe
Ongoing | 2020-2024
Main funding source
Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
Geographical location
United Kingdom
Project details

Project Keywords