TY - JOUR

T1 - Mitigation of Multiple Environmental Footprints for China’s Pig Production Using Different Land Use Strategies

AU - Long, Weitong

AU - Wang, Hongliang

AU - Hou, Yong

AU - Chadwick, Dave

AU - Ma, Yifei

AU - Cui, Zhenling

AU - Zhangf, Fusuo

PY - 2021/4/20

Y1 - 2021/4/20

N2 - Pig production contributes considerably to land use and greenhouse gas (GHG) and reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions. Land use strategies were widely proposed, but the spillover effects on biological flow are rarely explored. Here, we simultaneously assessed the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and cropland footprints of China’s pig production at the provincial scale in 2017. The environmental impacts of land use strategies were further evaluated. Results show that one kg live-weight pig production generated an average of 1.9 kg CO2-equiv and 59 g Nr emissions, occupying 3.5 m2 cropland, with large regional variations. A large reduction in GHG (58–64%) and Nr (12–14%) losses and occupied cropland (10–11%) could be achieved simultaneously if combined strategies of intensive crop production, improved feed-protein utilization efficiency, and feeding co-products were implemented. However, adopting a single strategy may have environmental side-effects. Reallocating cropland that pigs used for feed to plant food alternatives would enhance human-edible energy (3–20 times) and protein delivery (1–5 times) and reduce C and N footprints, except for rice and vegetables. Reallocating cropland to beef and milk production would decrease energy and protein supply. Therefore, a proper combination of land use strategies is essential to alleviate land use changes and nutrient emissions without sacrificing food supply.

AB - Pig production contributes considerably to land use and greenhouse gas (GHG) and reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions. Land use strategies were widely proposed, but the spillover effects on biological flow are rarely explored. Here, we simultaneously assessed the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and cropland footprints of China’s pig production at the provincial scale in 2017. The environmental impacts of land use strategies were further evaluated. Results show that one kg live-weight pig production generated an average of 1.9 kg CO2-equiv and 59 g Nr emissions, occupying 3.5 m2 cropland, with large regional variations. A large reduction in GHG (58–64%) and Nr (12–14%) losses and occupied cropland (10–11%) could be achieved simultaneously if combined strategies of intensive crop production, improved feed-protein utilization efficiency, and feeding co-products were implemented. However, adopting a single strategy may have environmental side-effects. Reallocating cropland that pigs used for feed to plant food alternatives would enhance human-edible energy (3–20 times) and protein delivery (1–5 times) and reduce C and N footprints, except for rice and vegetables. Reallocating cropland to beef and milk production would decrease energy and protein supply. Therefore, a proper combination of land use strategies is essential to alleviate land use changes and nutrient emissions without sacrificing food supply.

U2 - 10.1021/acs.est.0c08359

DO - 10.1021/acs.est.0c08359

M3 - Article

C2 - 33793238

VL - 55

SP - 4440

EP - 4451

JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

SN - 0013-936X

IS - 8

ER -