Blanco Penedo, Isabel
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- University of Lleida
Abstract
The traditional Iberian pig production system in the dehesa ecosystem of southwestern Spain and Portugal represents a significant cultural and ecological model of extensive livestock farming currently facing sustainability challenges. This study aimed to identify eco-efficiency indicators by integrating economic and environmental dimensions across traditional Iberian pig farms. Structured surveys were conducted across 68 farms, complemented by life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate environmental impacts including climate change, acidification, eutrophication, energy demand and land occupation. Multivariate statistical analysis identified two distinct farm types: Mixed-orientation Farms (MF, 45.59% of farms), characterised by diversified production phases and greater reliance on external inputs, and Acorn-Fed Farms (AF, 54.41% of farms), specialised in acorn-based fattening with greater dehesa ecosystem integration. AF demonstrated significantly lower environmental impacts across all categories except land occupation, with reductions ranging from 9% to 18% compared to MF. Furthermore, AF achieved superior eco-efficiency with gross margins 15% higher than MF and economic returns per unit of environmental impact 32% to 59% higher across all indicators. These findings demonstrate that farrow-to-finish farms specialised in montanera systems can simultaneously achieve greater profitability and reduced environmental impacts, providing a replicable model for sustainable livestock production in Mediterranean agroecosystems.
Keywords
extensive livestock systems; sustainability assessment; resource use efficiency; multivariate analysis
Published in
Agriculture
2025, volume: 15, number: 23, article number: 2515
Publisher: MDPI
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Environmental Economics and Management
Animal and Dairy Science
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232515
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/145487