SaLu_T - Clean air in animal production

Short description

High emissions and associated conflicts with nearby residents confront Austria’s animal production sector with the challenge of implementing environmentally compatible husbandry systems that are in keeping with the principle of animal welfare. By means of emission measurements carried out in the first low-emission animal welfare stable for fattening pigs in Austria, the savings potentials of emissions and odour pollution are investigated. The results will show possibilities for innovations and investments in animal production and will invalidate reservations of nearby residents, so that official approval procedures for the building of new stables will be completed more quickly in the future.

Point of departure

So far, many livestock farms, in particular those practising pig fattening, have produced high amounts of emissions. They account for a third of the total greenhouse gas emissions released by the agricultural sector and frequently lead to conflicts between livestock farms and residents in adjacent settlement areas. The considerable odour emissions are also the main cause for often years of official approval procedures with ultimately negative assessments. This situation has led to a massive slump in animal numbers and will endanger Austria’s self-sufficiency with pork in the near future. Measures to reduce emissions are therefore urgently sought and legally requested also. This project deals with practical measures and technologies for the reduction of emissions and the improvement of animal welfare in the first low-emission animal welfare stable for fattening pigs in Austria, and provides scientifically sound statements on emission-saving potentials.

Project implementation and measures

Important project steps:

Current measurements in the new fattening pig house of the Neuhold family in order to identify the emission savings potential when using state-of-the-art technologies
Active involvement of stakeholders, also of those who have a critical view of conventional pig fattening, in order to inform about this best practice system
Activities to disseminate the results e.g. information material, technical contributions for networks, journals and at conferences, press work, excursions and farm visits.