The climate imprint on a Danish pig meat continues to decline

af Food Nation

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Foto: Danish Crown

Over the past year, Danish Crown has climate-certified a share of the company owners’ pigs, the Danish farmers, corresponding to approximately 90% of the pigs delivered to the group’s Danish abattoirs. Data has been collected on everything from feed to power consumption to slurry handling by the company’s owners and on average they already now have reduced the CO2 emissions by 6.7% since 2016.

Danish Crown’s owners have been measured against a CO2 emission equivalent norm based on figures from 2016, which shows that a pig from birth to slaughter emits 239 kg. CO2. The preliminary estimates show that pigs from the owners’ stables today emit 6.7% less CO2 than the norm or the equivalent of 223 kg. CO2.

The right direction
One of the owners that have been certified is Lars Ejner Larsen on Funen. He delivers 22,000 pigs to Danish Crown’s abattoirs every year, and his certification shows that so far, his pigs on average emits 213 kg. CO2. At his farm, he sends his slurry to biogas – along with frequent flushing of slurry, it reduces the climate footprint. However, he expects to get even better. The goal for 2022 is to cut it down to the emission of climate gasses of 180 kg. CO2 per pig.

A saving of 110,250 tons CO2
If the owners reach the goals, they have set for the next three years, it equates to a reduction of 26.5 kg. CO2 per pig compared to the norm from 2016. Compared with Danish Crown’s current slaughter figures, it gives a total saving for primary production of 110,250 tonnes of CO2 over the next three years or 100 tonnes of CO2 every single day.

If the farmers’ own targets for 2022 are met, the total CO2 reduction of Danish Crown’s owners will be very close to 30% compared to 2005. In addition, the reduction of CO2 emissions achieved at Danish Crown’s abattoirs will be added, but those are yet to be calculated.