The Pork Industry at a Glance - National Pork Board

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Quick Facts Quick Facts Introduction Table of Pork Did You Pork The History FAQ Contents Checkoff Know Facts of Pork Timeline Air Quality and Emissions Livestock operations, including hog farms, regardless of the type and size of the operation can be a source of other air emissions besides odor. These include dust and gases. Because of this, pork producers use various measures to control and mitigate potential emissions from their operations. These practices include good housekeeping and dust-control measures inside and outside of hog barns, proper manure management and storage and use of natural vegetation windbreaks and filters on ventilation fans. Dust from livestock operations is generated through animal activity, building ventilation and the movement of outside soil particles. Feed is usually the main component of dust from animalfeeding operations, but other solid particles also can be found in dust. Dust also can be generated from sources other than hog farms, including rowcrop agricultural activities, gravel roads, industrial operations, construction activities and motor vehicle exhaust. Dust from pork production operations is generally large-sized particles that do not travel far from the barns. A study conducted by researchers from the University of Saskatchewan found that air quality 600 meters downwind from barns was no different than “fresh country air” or air 2,400 meters upwind from the barn. 1 Gas emissions from livestock operations can include hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. These gases are not unique to agriculture and can be produced naturally and from human-made processes. Some sources of hydrogen sulfide include municipal sewage plants, stagnant bodies of water, and many industries such as petroleum refineries, food-processing plants, pulp and paper operations and tanneries. 2 Sources of ammonia are found in water, soil, and air and are a source of much needed nitrogen for plants and animals. Most of the ammonia in the environment comes from naturally occurring processes. The odor of ammonia is familiar to most people because ammonia is used in smelling salts and common household cleaners. 3 A study of air quality surrounding pork production operations conducted by Iowa State University’s Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering looked at ammonia and hydrogen sulfide from pork production operations and their impacts on air quality at neighboring residences. The study found that emissions from the pork production operations did not affect air quality at neighboring residences outside the farm site. In fact, the study found that ammonia concentrations inside residences tended to be more concentrated than ammonia levels in the air outside or at the pork production operation’s property line. The study’s authors said evidence suggests that ammonia levels may be related more to inhabitants’ lifestyles, including smoking cigarettes, use of certain cleaning products and having indoor pets, than to the residence’s proximity to a hog farm. 4 References 1 Saskatchewan Pork Final Report, Airborne Dust, Endotoxin, and DNA Downwind from Swine Barns, October 2002. 2 Toxicological Profile for Hydrogen Sulfide, July 2006, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 3 Toxicological Profile for Ammonia, September 2004, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 62 Environmental Stewardship
Pork Production Public Pork Names and Environment Stats Glossary Today Health Safety Numbers Quick Facts Quick Facts 4 Air Emissions Monitoring Protocol, Steven J. Hoff PhD, PE, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Iowa State University, 2006 What Is a Carbon Footprint? A carbon footprint is a technical assessment, which determines the amount of emissions of certain gases resulting from a process, an activity, a business or even a person’s daily life-style. There are six primary gases of interest: carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), sulphur hexafloride (SF 6 ), per-flourcarbons (PFCs) and hydroflourocarbons (HFCs). These are often referred to as greenhouse gases, or GHGs, because they are believed to contribute to a “greenhouse effect,” which traps heat in our atmosphere. This In 2008, the National Pork Board adopted a resolution regarding carbon footprints. The resolution established that: • The carbon footprint of U.S. pork production is of significant importance to the pork industry and its customers. • The industry must develop a strategy to measure its footprint and identify challenges and opportunities from which solutions that are ethically grounded, scientifically verifiable and economically sound can be implemented by America’s pork producers. greenhouse effect has the potential for global warming, resulting in climate change on earth. The global warming potential of each of these gases is different and to be quantified needs to be adjusted to a common unit of measure. That common unit is carbon dioxide and is expressed as a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e). These emissions are generally measured in metric tons (2,204 pounds), the international standard. Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are the primary GHGs that result from agricultural and livestock operations. The other three gases are not generally associated with ag operations. A carbon footprint estimates the size and breakdown of GHG emissions, identifies areas where emissions may be positively impacted by improved efficiencies and provides a mechanism to track performance in improving efficiencies and reducing emissions. What Is the Carbon Footprint of U.S. Pork Production? America’s pork producers are among the most environmentally and socially conscious food producers in the world today. From their continual emphasis on the well-being of the animals under their care to their stewardship of the soil, water and land they call home, pork producers are leaders on many environmental fronts. And as always, producers continue to ensure that the food they produce is done so in a responsible and caring way for animals, consumers and the environment. Just as they took steps in the 1980s and ‘90s to protect the soil and water, today’s pork producers are leaders in assessing and understanding their carbon footprint. Through the Pork Checkoff, producers are funding research efforts at the University of Arkansas’ Applied Sustainability Center to measure and identify the overall carbon footprint involved with pork production. They are determined to address this important area and capitalize on opportunities that make good environmental sense and are economically sustainable. Animal agriculture as a whole contributes a small part of U.S. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Environmental Stewardship 63
Page 1 and 2:
Introduction Table of Contents Pork
Page 3 and 4:
Pork Production Public Pork Names a
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14: Pork Production Public Pork Names a
Page 63: Pork Production Public Pork Names a
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
show all

The Pork Industry at a Glance - National Pork Board

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?