Global Warming Potential and Life Cycle Cost of Conventional and Potentially Low-Carbon Philippine Swine Production Systems

Abstract

This study identified and evaluated conventional and low-carbon swine production systems through a review of literature and visits to commercial farrow-to-finish swine farms in the Philippines, aiming to recommend a swine production system that cost-effectively reduces GHG emissions. Parameters assessed were greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, carbon and payback period, and return on investment through conduct of life cycle assessment. The identified conventional technologies are open-sided housing system, slatted flooring, modified manual feeding system, nipple drinker, and scrapper and power sprayer as cleaning systems. The identified low carbon technologies are low protein swine feed formulation supplemented with amino acids and partial substitution of soybean meal with Protein-Enriched Copra Meal (PECM), open-sided housing with cemented flooring, manual feeding system, bite ball valve, scrapper combined with power sprayer as cleaning system, and biogas digester as manure management system. These entailed a GHG emission reduction potential of 31.93% in reference to the conventional system. The low carbon production system accounted for higher return on investment of 36.75% and shorter payback period at 2.72 years, compared to the conventional system that yielded 19.96% and 5.01 years, respectively. The identified low carbon swine farm production system can be a cost-effective alternative to the conventional production system.