The National Pork Board introduced a Live Swine Carbon Footprint Calculator this week at the World Pork Expo as part of its environmental sustainability efforts. 

The calculator is a software tool that determines the greenhouse gas emissions involved in sow and grow-finish production.  The goal is to help producers identify areas for improved efficiency.

The Pork Checkoff-funded research, which began in June 2008, has assessed energy use and emissions along the entire pork chain, from feed crop production, feed formulation, swine production, transportation, all the way to meat processing and retail.

The research has also produced dozens of tips and checklists for individual pork producers to assess the efficiency of their own link in the pork production chain.  Tips include improving ventilation, strategies for reducing ammonia in animal production, and water conservation techniques.

“Safeguarding the environment comes naturally to America’s pork producers because they understand their inherent responsibility to preserve natural resources for future generations,” according to the National Pork Board website.