Sustainability: Where is the Pork Industry Headed?

Critical conversations are happening now on sustainability, says Dr. Brett Kaysen, vice-president of sustainability for the National Pork Board. And while it means different things to different people, there’s no question it’s a top-of-mind issue for consumers.

“Our customers want to lead the way with solutions,” Kaysen says. 

Those solutions are founded on good data that can show customers exactly what producers are doing and how they’re making their operations increasingly more sustainable. Producers are working to meet the needs of people today without sacrificing the needs of future generations, Kaysen says.

Room for Improvement
The United Nations has created a list of sustainable development goals, and “zero hunger” is No. 2 on the list. Seventy-two percent of companies are using these goals, but right now, agriculture is at or near the bottom of the list of industries represented. The global framework has been set and U.S. pork producers are part of the solution.

“Our framework is based on building consumer trust through principles and practices,” Kaysen says. “We’re trying to get better with our practices – for example, the We Care program was founded on a commitment to continuous improvement.”

Consumers want food that’s good for their families and good for the planet.

“These are pig farmers’ values, too,” asserts Kaysen. 

Proving the Point 
The National Pork Board is conducting pilot projects using the EcoProducer platform for proof of concept on collected data. The projects track and quantify on-farm sustainability with third-party validation, Kaysen says. The results to date have been significant, as shown in an example of best management practices on Phillips Farms in Missouri. The farm uses conservation tillage and no-till practices on 1,641 acres of corn and soybeans. Compared to a conventional U.S. farming system during 2018, environmental benefits included 640 tons of reduced carbon dioxide equivalent, which is the same as:

•    124 average passenger cars off the road for a year.
•    3.2 rail cars of coal saved from being burned.
•    Average yearly energy used by 63 American farms.
•    681 acres of U.S forest that sequesters carbon in a year.

From the soil practices currently in place on Phillips Farms, significant sediment was estimated to have been saved from soil erosion in 2018. The estimate was 8,713 tons of soil was saved, which is the same as 545 dump trucks of soil. In addition, the 5.2 million gallons of manure effluent applied in the 2018 growing season as natural fertilizer resulted in a value savings of $10,150 from nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrients.

“This Sustainable Continuous Improvement Plan (SCIP) is what you can take credit for today. It also creates opportunities for how you can get better, and whether or not these practices make sense for your business,” Kaysen says.

Look to the Future
Kaysen encourages producers to consider the needs of the industry – and consumers – in terms of data collection and analysis. Being a sports fan, he likened data as a locker room where critical sports equipment is stored and team members gather. 

“This data can be used however each producer wants to use it, and it can be controlled and leveraged however each person chooses.” 
He suggests imagining a digital key that allows people to extrapolate the locker-room information. For example, if all the producers in North Caroline put their information in the North Carolina locker, that aggregated data could be used to show food-service customers, legislators or others who may have doubts about the industry, the actual progress producers are making in sustainability.

“Now, what if this locker room housed all the national data that was voluntarily reported?” Kaysen says. “This blinded data can be used on behalf of U.S. pork producers to inform stakeholders of what we’re doing in terms of carbon, water, land, energy use, hours committed to your community and more. 
“It starts with you and the framework has been built,” Kaysen adds. “You have a voice in this process. The pork industry can lean into it and be part of the solution.”