Comparative analyses of pig farming management systems using the Life Cycle Assessment method

The Life Cycle Assessment method was used to analyse and compare the environmental impacts of three systems of pig farming management: pig farming with pig manure fertilisation; pig farming using a manure treatment and a filtration method involving the production of mineral-organic fertilisers from manure; and pig farming in which 50% of the manure produced per y was used as fertiliser, and the other 50% was used in the treatment and filtration method. The LCA results revealed that fertiliser production from the manure processed by the treatment and filtration method had the greatest environmental impact. Direct fertilisation with manure was characterised by a 14.2% lesser impact, and combined fertiliser production from treated manure and direct manure fertilisation had a 7.0% lesser impact. The proper use of manure as a fertiliser could be the best option. The proposed system of pig manure management entails the simultaneous direct application of pig manure as fertiliser and its processing into mineral-organic fertiliser and could be an interesting environmental alternative. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.