Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey Ready for Launch

Scientists working on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc are planning to launch a survey that help paint a clearer picture of the pork sector's environmental footprint. As part of research being conducted on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc, the University of Manitoba is coordinating the "Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey for Improved Economic and Environmental Viability."

 

Dr. Mario Tenuta, the Industrial Research Chair for Nutrient Stewardship with the University of Manitoba, says the survey will help identify environmental improvements made by the pork sector and opportunities for improvement.

 

 

To get that breadth of knowledge and analysis we need to ask about the production. What pigs are resident in the facilities and what's all involved with producing those animals. We're asking things such as numbers, densities in barns, days at different stages, what type of barn they have? Is it farrow to finish or is it a grower-finisher, nurseries so we're asking about that? We're asking about rations.

 

Is some of that food produced on farm in terms of producing their own grain or is it purchased in, how they're handling the manure? There's energy use within the barn, temperatures of their barns. Is there water management within the barn in terms of washing, washing frequency, what kind of waterers for the pigs.

 

You can start seeing it's quite encompassing in terms of the different facets of the production system to give us a good handle on what's involved in producing the pigs and the resources it takes to do that.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.