SüdSchwein4Klima

Southern German pork production - future-oriented, climate-friendly, economical (SüdSchwein4Klima)

Topic

SüdSchwein4Klima is addressing the "Southern German pork production" value chain. The focus here is on climate friendliness, taking into account economic efficiency and animal welfare. The existing Qualifood® information platform is to be expanded with a centrally structured sustainability module in order to align this value chain with a climate-friendly, animal welfare-oriented and economically sustainable southern German pork production. To this end, data and knowledge from various projects in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria will be pooled, synergies will be utilized, further development towards sustainability will be managed in a targeted manner and the exchange of information along the value chain will be intensified. In addition, a climate check is being developed for pig farming, which enables the climate friendliness of the farms to be classified. This will be accessible to all pig farms in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria via Qualifood® in order to strengthen their competitiveness.

Goals

The aim of the project is to provide farms with a self-help tool. The farms are thus provided with possible fields of action and measures towards climate friendliness. Specifically, the existing Qualifood® information platform, which is operated by Fleischprüfring e.V., will be expanded to include a sustainability module that can be used by all pig farms in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. This module will bundle information on the topic of sustainable pig farming. The data can be used along the value chain. The analysis of the data also makes it possible to evaluate existing data and results within the sector and to identify existing potential and data gaps and use them for subsequent steps. In addition, a climate check is being developed for pig farming, which enables the climate friendliness of the farms to be classified. This will be integrated into the sustainability module and will be accessible to all pig farms in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria via Qualifood® to strengthen their competitiveness. Farms will receive an assessment of their climate-friendliness as well as information on measures that can be taken to further increase their climate-friendliness.

The project also aims to calculate the potential emissions savings that can be achieved through the use of biogas plants and to identify the potential for reducing emissions in pig farming in southern Germany. Findings on this will also be fed into the sustainability module.

Project tasks of the state institute

The State Institute collects operational data from various pig farms in southern Germany and takes samples of liquid and solid manure at various points. Farms with different husbandry and manure removal methods are selected and sampled. These samples are analyzed for methane yield potential in order to draw conclusions about possible greenhouse gas saving potentials through the fermentation of pig manure in a biogas plant. Subsequently, by balancing the slurry and manure quantities produced on the farm and the GHG savings potential through manure fermentation, an economic assessment of the construction of a biogas plant on the evaluated farms is carried out and transferred to today's costs.  Findings on greenhouse gas reduction potentials are then integrated into the sustainability module.