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Pork: Good For the Planet
U.S. pork's sustainability keeps improving!
Data released by the Environmental Protection Agency in April 2021 attributes only 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to agriculture, of which the pork industry is responsible for about 4%(1)
In the past six decades, pork production has improved by using(2):
- 75% less land
- 25% less water
- 7% less energy
- 8% fewer carbon emissions
Over the decades, America’s pig farmers have made dramatic improvements in how they raise pigs:
- Enhanced protection from harsh weather and predators
- Better genetics and animal care
- Improved crops to better match animals’ needs
Effective measures combine to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and U.S. pork’s carbon footprint.
- How crops are raised
- How pigs are fed
- How nutrients are recycled
(1) United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2019. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2019,
Chapter 5. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/documents/us-ghg-inventory-2021-chapter-5-agriculture.pdf.
(2) A Retrospective Assessment of U.S. Pork Production: 1960 to 2015, Univ. of Arkansas, National Pork Board, 2018.
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