Water use in the Spanish White Pork Sector
Professionals in the pig sector are very aware of everything that concerns the environmental impact of their activity, and especially with making a responsible use of water.
Water is a very valuable resource for the entire value chain of pork production. For this reason, with increasing frequency, the adoption of practices for recovery and reuse can be observed in farms and meat industries. For example, the recovery of rainwater stands out as an increasingly implemented measure, for its use in cleaning tasks in all types of establishments.
Another frequent measure is the control of pipes and circuits, as well as the implementation of water troughs that reduce losses on farms, or efficient equipment in the use of water throughout the chain.
The result of this effort is that the water footprint of the activity in Spanish pig farms has been reduced by 30% in the last 30 years thanks, among other things, to the improvement in feed conversion rates or the optimization of facilities, equipment and water quality, as well as cleaning and refrigeration systems.
These are figures that invite us to continue working to advance the environmental objectives established by the European Commission on the path towards a neutral climate impact. The goal is for the water footprint of the pig sector to be 40% lower in 2050 compared to 2020. To achieve this, the sector is working on numerous improvement projects and technologies to achieve the lowest possible water footprint, which will also result in greater competitiveness of the sector.
From the Spanish Inter-professional Agri-Food Organization for White Pork (INTERPORC), in order to help farms meet these objectives, a "Guide for water management on pig farms" is available online through our website.
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