Pig Farming in Alternative Systems: Strengths and Challenges in Terms of Animal Welfare, Biosecurity, Animal Health and Pork Safety

Maxime Delsart, Françoise Pol, Barbara Dufour, Nicolas Rose and Christelle Fablet
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Maxime Delsart: Epidémiologie des Maladies Animales Infectieuses (EPIMAI), Ecole nationale vétérinaire d’Alfort, Unité sous contrat Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
Françoise Pol: Epidemiology Health and Welfare Research Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), 22440 Ploufragan, France
Barbara Dufour: Epidémiologie des Maladies Animales Infectieuses (EPIMAI), Ecole nationale vétérinaire d’Alfort, Unité sous contrat Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
Nicolas Rose: Epidemiology Health and Welfare Research Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), 22440 Ploufragan, France
Christelle Fablet: Epidemiology Health and Welfare Research Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), 22440 Ploufragan, France

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-34

Abstract: In pig production, the widespread conventional indoor system with a slatted floor currently dominates. However, this production system is becoming less socially acceptable. In addition to general environmental protection issues, animal welfare, the absence of suffering and distress, and the management of pain also constitute societal concerns. In this context, alternative production systems are gaining ground. Although they are popular with consumers and other citizens, these alternative systems have their critical points. Here, we reviewed the international scientific literature to establish the state of the art of current knowledge regarding welfare, biosecurity, animal health and pork safety in this type of farming system. In general, alternative farms give pigs the opportunity to express a broader range of behaviours than conventional farms. However, the management of feeding, watering, temperature and predators is often more complicated in these outdoor systems. In addition, biosecurity measures seem to be applied less strictly in alternative farms than in conventional farms, especially in free-range systems, where they are more difficult to implement. On the other hand, pigs kept in these farming systems seem to be less affected by respiratory diseases, but parasitism and piglet crushing (in farrowing units) both remain a real challenge. Furthermore, the higher prevalence of many zoonotic pathogens in these farms may represent a risk for human health.

Keywords: outdoor; free-range; organic; welfare; biosecurity; health; safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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