OneWelPig - project tasks

The project has 10 tasks, one of which is a project management task led by the PI and coordinator. The other 9 tasks (listed below) incorporate a wide range of research disciplines, measurements, and expertise, so that we can use a multiple (multi, inter and trans) disciplinary approach in addressing our overall objective. (click on the task below to read more)

Promoting real world change: Implementation of the Knowledge Transfer Plan
Cross sectional ‘One Welfare’ characterisation of outdoor pig production systems in Ireland
Modification of the Pig Biocheck Tool for systems offering outdoor access
Social barriers to alternative pig production practices/systems and social impact of current systems
Longitudinal One Welfare assessment of agroforestry for pig production
A longitudinal One Welfare assessment of alternative systems of pig production in Ireland
Modelling Land-use change through alternative pig production systems in the Irish Agricultural Sector
Addressing practical constraints to improving welfare standards in conventional indoor pig production in Ireland
Social and environmental life cycle assessment of alternative pig production systems in the island of Ireland

Promoting real world change: Implementation of the Knowledge Transfer Plan

Lead researchers: Prof Siobhan Mullan and Prof Alison Hanlon

Lead institution: UCD, Dublin

Objective(s)

Identify key stakeholders that will input into the research design and contribute to co-creation of Knowledge Transfer activities
Produce a co-designed detailed prioritisation map for Knowledge Transfer activities throughout the lifetime of the project to ensure maximum impact
Develop an industry roadmap towards One Welfare pig farming in Ireland through a participatory policy making (PPM) approach

Cross sectional ‘One Welfare’ characterisation of outdoor pig production systems in Ireland

Lead researcher: Dr Keelin O’Driscoll

Lead institution: Teagasc

Objective(s)

The overall aim of this task is to survey current husbandry and management practices on small scale pig production systems on the Island of Ireland from a One Welfare perspective
Sub-objectives include:
To carry out the first all Island survey targeted towards the small scale pig production sector. The survey will allow the first objective estimation of how farms in this sector typically operate
To identify the barriers facing small scale pig producers who are currently in operation, or for producers who may wish to transition to this type of system.
To estimate the welfare status of pigs on a sub sample of farms across the island, taking into account the type of management they operate under (e.g. organic, agroforestry, grassland based etc.)
To assess the physical environment on the same farms, including evaluation of the habitats and soil condition to estimate the levels of biodiversity on each enterprise
To evaluate the Quality of Life, mental wellbeing and job satisfaction of the producers involved in small scale pig production
To produce data which will feed into Task 1 (development of a roadmap towards One Welfare pig farming in Ireland), and Task 9 (Life cycle assessment of alternative pig production systems)

Modification of the Pig Biocheck Tool for systems offering outdoor access

Lead researcher: Dr Edgar Garcia Manzanilla

Lead institution: Teagasc

Objective(s)

Modify the Biocheck.ugent Pig Tool for outdoor systems
Employ the modified tool to assess biosecurity practices on outdoor pig farms in Ireland
To provide relevant biosecurity information for Task 9 (Life cycle assessment of alternative pig production systems)

Social barriers to alternative pig production practices/systems and social impact of current systems

Lead researcher: Dr Grace Carroll

Lead institution: Queens University Belfast

Objective(s)

Identify key stakeholders from the farm workforce, local community, consumers, value chain actors and society that would be impacted by any new pig production system
Gather and interpret information on the barriers to, and facilitators of, alternative pig production practices and systems from identified stakeholders
Gather and interpret information on the current social impacts of intensive indoor pig farming and alternative pig farming systems from identified stakeholders

Longitudinal One Welfare assessment of agroforestry for pig production

Lead researcher: Dr Stephanie Bujis and Dr Rodrigo Olave,

Lead institution: AFBI

Objective(s)

To evaluate biophysical and biological parameters of introducing pigs into an agroforestry system and assess environmental and technical feasibility
To assess the effects of tree configuration on the welfare, productivity and environmental impact of pigs in a cool temperate agroforestry system in Ireland
To provide input data for the assessments of environmental impact of pig systems of Task 9

A longitudinal One Welfare assessment of alternative systems of pig production in Ireland

Lead researcher: Dr Laura Boyle and Dr Keelin O’Driscoll

Lead institution: Teagasc

Objective(s)

Establish seasonal changes in the health and welfare of pigs in alternative systems of pig production in Ireland
Establish seasonal changes in key environmental measures in alternative systems of pig production in Ireland
Establish changes over time in Quality of Life and labour investment of farmers keeping pigs outdoors
Provide input data for the assessment of environmental impact of pig systems in Task 9 (LCA)
Provide human and animal health and welfare data to input into the social LCA in Task 9

Modelling Land-use change through alternative pig production systems in the Irish Agricultural Sector

Lead researcher: Dr Lucie Adenaeuer and Prof. Siobhan Mullan

Lead institution: UCD

Objective(s)

The main objective of this task is to examine the potential impact of Agroforestry pig production on Irish agriculture through a number of alternative land-use change scenarios by exploiting economic and environmental indicators simulated with the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) module in the CAPRI modelling framework.

Specific objectives:

Evaluation of land-use change implications of increased Agroforestry activities on

Agricultural Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and LULUCF related carbon sequestration
Other Irish agricultural sectors

Addressing practical constraints to improving welfare standards in conventional indoor pig production in Ireland

Lead researcher: Dr Keelin O’Driscoll

Lead institution: Teagasc

Objective(s)

Identify alternative substrates to straw (the gold standard) which can be used as environmental enrichment or as bedding material for pigs in commercial systems of production

Gather information regarding crops and by-products which are already or have potential to be easily produced in Ireland
Compare and identify easily adoptable strategies of providing these alternative materials to sows in service and lactation crates
Compare effectiveness of alternative materials in engaging grower and finisher pigs, and reducing the performance of damaging behaviour

Evaluate how an alternative indoor-outdoor pig rearing facility affects pig welfare, and pig performance, from wean to finish

Social and environmental life cycle assessment of alternative pig production systems in the island of Ireland

Lead researcher: Prof Ilias Kyriazakis

Lead institution: Queens University Belfast

Objective(s)

The overall aim of this Task is to assess the environmental and social impacts of current alternative pig productions systems (Tasks 2, 6), i.e. the cross sectional, and longitudinal works on existing small farms, and of the system developed during the project (Task 5), in N Ireland. For both assessments a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework will be used in order to link consistently the two impacts and express them per the same functional unit.

Prior to the assessment, the characteristics of the existing farms from Task 2 will be analysed through a Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and an Ascending Hierarchical Clustering (AHC), to identify management patterns and classify the farms of Task 2 according to these. We expect that the farms will be classified into a small number of clusters with common characteristics, which will be subsequently compared.