project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Sustainable short supply chain of processed and fresh pork from outdoor reared pigs
Filiera corta sostenibile dei salumi e delle carni derivanti da suini all’aperto - Salcasa
Objectives
The general objective is to support a short supply chain for the production of cured and fresh pork from sustainable outdoor farms, able to respond to the growing consumer demand for meat resulting from animal husbandry practices with a higher animal welfare content and lower environmental impact. Specific objectives concern the improvement of pig sustainability from ethical (animal welfare and health), social (relationship between farmers and neighbours), environmental and economic points of view, the reduction of the use of antibiotics and the improvement of traceability.
Objectives
Obiettivo generale è supportare una filiera corta per la produzione di salumi e carni suine fresche da allevamenti all’aperto sostenibili, in grado di rispondere alla crescente richiesta dei consumatori di carni derivanti da pratiche zootecniche a maggior contenuto di benessere animale e a minor impatto ambientale. Obiettivi specifici riguardano il miglioramento della sostenibilità suinicola dai punti di vista etico (benessere e salute animale), sociale (rapporto tra allevatori e vicinato), ambientale ed economico, la riduzione dell’uso di antibiotici e il miglioramento della tracciabilità.
Activities
The Plan proposes the technical assessment of animal welfare, biosecurity and antibiotic use conditions, environmental, social and economic sustainability of the free-range pig farming system in Emilia-Romagna to highlight its strengths and weaknesses and to recommend possible improvements. It is also envisaged to test the effectiveness of a traceability system for individual pigs (on farm) and for their derived products (in processing and marketing), to monitor the production performance of pigs and the quality of their fresh and processed products, providing information along the production and distribution process.
Activities
Il Piano propone la valutazione tecnica delle condizioni benessere animale, biosicurezza e uso di antibiotici, della sostenibilità ambientale, sociale ed economica del sistema di allevamento all’aperto dei suini in Emilia-Romagna per evidenziarne i punti di forza e di debolezza e di raccomandare possibili interventi migliorativi. Si prevede inoltre di testare l’efficacia di un sistema di tracciabilità dei singoli suini (in allevamento) e dei prodotti che ne derivano (in trasformazione e commercializzazione), per monitorare le prestazioni produttive di suini e la qualità dei relativi prodotti freschi e trasformati, fornendo informazioni lungo processo produttivo e di distribuzione.
Kontext
Free-range pig farming has become widespread in Italy, mainly to enhance native breeds and exploit marginal land, coppice, meadows and pastures for the production of high quality meat and sausages. Free-range pig farmers are seeing increased opportunities to market their niche products as they respond to growing consumer concern about animal welfare, environmental sustainability and food safety. In Emilia-Romagna there are an estimated 200 pig free-range farms. The "guidelines for the management and health control of free-range pig farming - biosecurity criteria" provide guidelines for the application of current health and environmental regulations. Free-range farming involves exposing pigs to environmental factors (climate, predation, parasites, contact with wildlife) over which the farmer has less control than in stabled farming, thus requiring specific management skills to enable pigs to reach their best production potential. However, free-range farmers are better able than intensive farmers to respond to consumer demands for greater sustainability.
Additional comments
Consumers emphasise the importance of rusticity and a relationship with nature and demand more space for pigs, suitable flooring and access to the outdoors. Because animal husbandry has a strong impact on the environment, consumers can mitigate this impact by choosing a diet with more environmentally friendly foods of animal origin.
Additional information
The "Guidelines - Prudent Use of Antimicrobials in Pig Farming" (RER, 2018) also apply to free-range farms to limit the use of antibiotics and combat antibiotic resistance. In order to optimise the feeding and management of pigs, modern precision animal husbandry provides farmers with technologies that allow them to monitor pigs through their identification (traceability) with RFID tags and transponders6 and their individual weighing with sensors or cameras and image analysis. Individual traceability of pigs and their meat can improve production efficiency, health control and meat quality while reducing production cost.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014IT06RDRP003 Italy - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Emilia-Romagna
Ort
- Main geographical location
- Reggio nell'Emilia
- Other geographical location
- Modena
€ 267821.31
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
1 Practice Abstracts
Evaluation and improvement of ethical (animal welfare), health (biosecurity and prudent use of antibiotics), social, environmental and economic sustainability of 10 free-range farms in Emilia-Romagna;
Processing, benchmarking and delivery of sustainability, biosecurity and antibiotic use data collected from 10 farms;
Efficiency evaluation and cost/benefit analysis of the adoption of an automatic individual recognition and weighing system for pigs in the breeding, growing and fattening phases, to monitor growth performance according to genetic type and optimise feed rations;
Efficiency evaluation and cost/benefit analysis of the adoption of a traceability system for pork meat products, from slaughtering to marketing, aimed at monitoring and optimising the traceability/traceability pathway and controlling/improving product quality;
Formulation of good practices to guarantee, improve and demonstrate the ethical (animal welfare), health, social, environmental and economic sustainability of the free-range pig farming system;
Specific training for farmers on the management of a short supply chain for the sustainable production of free-range pigs and their processing into cold cuts and fresh meat;
Qualified veterinary assistance for GOI partner breeders, for the control and improvement of the health status of pigs and the prudent and responsible use of antibiotics, aimed at improving the sustainability of free-range pig farming;
Awareness-raising of the regional pig sector and of farms located in mountain areas with development problems, on the opportunities offered by short supply chains based on the sustainable production of free-range pigs.
Valutazione e miglioramento della sostenibilità etica (benessere animale), sanitaria (biosicurezza e uso prudente degli antibiotici), sociale, ambientale ed economica di 10 allevamenti all’aperto in Emilia Romagna;
Elaborazione, benchmarking e consegna dei dati di sostenibilità, biosicurezza e uso di antibiotici raccolti in 10 allevamenti;
Valutazione di efficienza e analisi costi/benefici dell’adozione dei sistemi:
- di riconoscimento e di pesatura automatici dei suini in allevamento, nelle fasi d’accrescimento e ingrasso, per monitorare le prestazioni di crescita in funzione del tipo genetico ed ottimizzare le razioni alimentari;
- di tracciabilità dei salumi da carni suine, dalla macellazione alla commercializzazione, per monitorare e ottimizzare il percorso di tracciabilità/rintracciabilità e controllare/migliorare la qualità dei prodotti;
Stesura di buone pratiche per garantire, migliorare e dimostrare la sostenibilità etica, sanitaria, sociale, ambientale ed economica dell’allevamento dei suini all’aperto;
Formazione specifica per imprenditori agricoli sulla gestione di una filiera corta per la produzione sostenibile di suini in allevamenti all’aperto e la loro trasformazione in salumi e carne fresca;
Assistenza veterinaria qualificata per gli allevatori partner del GOI, per il controllo e il miglioramento dello stato sanitario dei suini e l’uso prudente e responsabile degli antibiotici, finalizzati a migliorare la sostenibilità degli allevamenti suinicoli all’aperto;
Sensibilizzazione del reparto suinicolo regionale e delle imprese agricole ubicate in aree montane con problematiche di sviluppo, sulle opportunità delle filiere corte per la produzione sostenibile di suini all’aperto
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali
Project coordinator
Project partners
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DINAMICA S.C. A R.L
Project partner
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FILIERA 110 S.R.L
Project partner
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PODERE MUSIARA DI BENASSI FILIPPO
Project partner
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SWIVET RESEARCH SNC DI SCOLLO ANNALISA E MAZZONI CLAUDIO
Project partner
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AZIENDA AGRICOLA CA' LUMACO DI FERRI EMANUELE
Project partner
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BORGHI TIZIANO SOCIETA' AGRICOLA
Project partner
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FONDAZIONE CRPA STUDI RICERCHE
Project partner
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SUIVET DI TONON FRANCESCO E MAZZONI CLAUDIO SNC
Project partner