INTERPORC – Promoting sustainability throughout the entire value chain
That is the reason why Spanish pork production is carried out from the conviction that it is necessary to take care of natural resources, water, air, agricultural soil and, of course, the animals. In this direction, we must remember the commitment that the sector has assumed to achieve climate neutral impact in 2050 in line with what is established in the European Green Deal.
Furthermore, the Interprofessional of the White Coated Pig (INTERPORC), aware of the importance of this issue, has promoted several initiatives related to environmental sustainability in recent years. Among them, it can be highlighted that INTERPORC, representing the Spanish white-coated pork sector, is part of the Spanish Network of the United Nations Global Compact.
Within this framework, it is already actively working on 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting sustainability throughout the value chain.
For example, among other actions, it has already organized two Independent Dialogues with experts whose results have been reported to the UN so that the sector's voice is heard worldwide.
It must be remembered that, among other achievements, the white pork sector has been reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, its water footprint and its generation of slurry for years, a product that, in addition, can be used in more than 90% when reused as fertilizer.
The result of these advances is that pork only generates 2.64% of Spain's GHG emissions. This is a much lower figure than those that are sometimes provided due to misinformation or interests contrary to the sector and much lower than that of other sectors such as Transport, which is at 27%; Industry, 19%; or Electricity, 17% according to data from the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory of MITECO (Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge).
This importance of sustainability will even be reinforced. The Pork Sector Strategic Plan presented by INTERPORC last year defines 8 strategic lines with which to address future challenges, among which are 'Transforming the configuration of the value chain towards a more competitive, sustainable and resilient model'; 'Activate investment in R&D&i in sustainability and product'; and 'Promote the circular economy throughout the value chain'.
The objective of the Plan is for the sector to carry out the necessary transformations that guarantee it to be a model of sustainability, resilience, competitiveness and innovation, which will allow it to remain a global benchmark. A challenge in which the three strategic lines aimed at improving the sustainability ratios of the entire chain will have great importance.
In fact, INTERPORC is already developing many actions within its sustainability strategy.
The 'Sustainability Strategy' began in October 2022 and establishes several actions in different areas, among which the creation of two committees made up of members of the sector stands out.
INTERPORC has created a Scientific Committee whose activities and objectives are to have knowledge of the research and innovation activities developed by the Spanish pork value chain; facilitate interaction on sustainability between production companies and research groups; and in general provide their opinions based on their scientific knowledge on all activities focused on sustainability that take place in the context of the sector.
From there, the strategy can be defined and the needs of the sector identified to improve sustainability ratios by implementing actions that also have the backing and support of the Scientific Committee.
One of the objectives is also to raise awareness in the sector about the importance of sustainability. In this sense, webinars dedicated to pork production and the pork industry have been held.
The pork sector has an absolute commitment to the demands of society. The priority objective of its actions is to promote the environmental sustainability of the entire white-coated pork value chain, from raw materials such as feed to the shipment of products to distribution.
These actions are structured in four large areas: Climate change, Air quality, Circular economy and Water, in which the necessary information is provided to address changes that improve environmental parameters in companies, including monitoring the progress achieved.
Climate Change addresses topics such as greenhouse gases; measurement and reduction of the carbon footprint and the environmental footprint; and carbon sinks.
The Air Quality area focuses on ammonia, its measurement and reduction of emissions.
Circular Economy addresses circularity in the pork value chain; slurry treatment; sludge from water purification; feeding pigs with by-products and new ingredients; by-products of animal origin not intended for human consumption; biogas production; the use of biomass boilers in farms and industries; the search for alternatives to traditional plastics; the management of other solid waste on farms and industries, the measurement of the valorization process of by-products and waste management; and reducing impacts.
Finally, in the area called Water we talk about its consumption in the value chain; measuring your consumption; and reducing impacts.
In this way, the sector is working on how to reduce the environmental impacts in pork production (greenhouse gas emissions, atmospheric pollutants, valorization of by-products and effluents from the value chain) in pork production.
INTERPORC wants to help lead operators to climate neutrality, reducing their emissions and taking advantage of the byproducts generated in their work.
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