Denmark sets goals for 2050

The Agriculture and Food Services Sector for Pigs, the association of Danish Pig Producers and Danish Swine Slaughterhouses have a new plan to deliver better animal welfare and increased health in Danish pig production with short, medium, and long-term goals:

From 2023:

• Newly built farms will have loose sows.
• Genetic selection will prioritize reducing sow and piglet mortality.
• Slurry discharge lines for all new farms.
• For each production establishment, a "manager" will be trained in improving biosecurity and welfare and will be responsible for training their subordinates.
• More pigs slaughtered in Denmark than exported.
• Research and development on the topics of no tail docking, use of antibiotics, use of plant protein, and pig transport.

From 2025:

• Soybeans used in pig feed will be exclusively sustainable from non-deforested areas.
• Funds to support intact tails so as to achieve an annual doubling of the number of pigs raised with intact tails from 2025 to 2028. The goal is to have 90% of pigs with intact tails by 2035.
• Development of a system that facilitates transparency with respect to climate data.
• Updating SPF systems in a totally transparent way with respect to welfare and health status.
• Research and development of technologies that help reduce manual labor on the farm.
• Development with a focus on avoiding surgical castration.

From 2030:

• 50% reduction in CO₂ production compared to 2005.
• PRRSv eliminated on almost all farms.
• Reaching 60% of farms with biogas or alternative carbon footprint reduction systems.

By 2050:

• Achieving ZERO emissions for pig and pork production.
• Achieving the highest animal welfare and health status in the world.