Water Protection Areas (DrWPAs) implementing parts of the “Water Framework Directive”3


emission factors9 . These are areas of land known to drain into


drinking water abstraction points and are a joint initiative between the Environment Agency (EA) and water companies4


. These areas are


divided into three zones, zone 1 being where transmission from surface to abstraction is no more than 50 days, zone 2; 400 days and zone 3; total catchment. Farming activities within these areas are under scrutiny, outdoor pig rearing especially. As they become aware, pig keepers are moving, or being asked to move away from these areas. Feeding strategies could form part of the discussions which take place. Pig and poultry farmers with permits to operate under the “Environmental Permitting Regualtions”5


(more commonly known as


IPPC permits), will by 2021 have to report annually the quantities of nitrogen and phosphorous excreted by animal category on a per pig place basis. The amount reported must be below limits set as Best Available Technique (BAT) Associated Emission Limits (AELs). These have been set within the EC document, “Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Intensive Rearing of Poultry or Pigs, version 2” (Brefv2)6


. This will require collaboration between


feed advisers and suppliers and farmers to ensure compliance is met as retrospective action is not an option. During the decision making process for Brefv2, both feed content limits and excretion limits were reviewed and discussed. To allow optimum and most efficient production, excretion limits were adopted allowing nutritionists scope to apply technologies available to optimise uptake by the animal and cut excretion rates. Gaseous pollution, is rising up the agenda, especially ammonia


and nitrous oxide. Around 94 % of ammonia emissions in Europe stem from agriculture7


, either livestock associated or the use of inorganic


nitrogen fertilisers. Ammonia is a concern for the following reasons; it contributes to eutrophication (oversupply of nitrogen) and acidification of ecosystems. It also forms particulate matter in the atmosphere which has adverse effects on human health. Increasing public attention on air quality is putting ammonia ever more under the spotlight. The UK government already implements legislation to control


ammonia pollution from farms and is committed to reducing it further. The Habitats Directive8


has meant planning applications for livestock


buildings being assessed for predicted impacts from ammonia on sensitive species and habitats protected through various statutory designations. To bring the estimated impacts below assigned thresholds some farmers have had to apply mitigation such as fans to disperse ammonia and feeding lower protein diets. As numbers of animals on a site increase, so does the chance of ammonia becoming part of the farm management process. It is pig and poultry farms operating under the control of the “Environmental Permitting Regulations”5


affected by controls on ammonia release to the atmosphere. Before a permit is granted, the EA must determine that the permitted activity (rearing pigs) is not going to result in pollution or environmental harm. Thus since the implementation of permitting in 2007 they have been assessing ammonia impacts. To do this they use a set of standard


PAGE 28 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 FEED COMPOUNDER


, these have remained largely unchanged since


2006 and are the result of studies dating back to the late 1990’s. The historic nature of these factors is causing concern to industry and regulators alike. AHDB Pork is actively involved in work to update these and establish a true position for English pig production. Currently discussions are ongoing with both the EA and Defra on this matter. Brefv2, also sets BAT AELs for ammonia emissions on a per house


basis for pig production. At the present time, UK emission factors, in some cases are higher than the new AEL. This is causing difficulties and farmers are having to apply mitigation before permit variations will be granted. In the period from late 2017 to February 2021, the EA will review and reissue all permits to include the BAT AELs. Thus it is expected that some farmers will have to apply mitigation to their production system. Some, have reviewed the crude protein (CP) content of diets and determined that this is lower now than when permits were issued. Brefv2, does accept the principle for pig rations that a 1 percent reduction in CP will cut ammonia emissions by 10 percent. Whilst some accept this approach, others (personal correspondence) do not and are challenging its relevance when applied to current high performing genotypes needing to meet contract grading specifications. Going forward, it is anticipated that measures to reduce ammonia


emissions will be made mandatory on a much wider, if not all farms. The Government is committed to ammonia reduction targets set implementing the National Emissions Ceiling Directive10


. No firm rules


have been set yet, but it is expected that there may be legislation around the feeding of livestock, maybe not limiting input, but setting out a phase feeding approach and the need to demonstrate that diets meet nutritional needs of the animals and do not contain excessive nitrogen compounds. Climate change and resource efficiency measurement and


reporting has fallen from main stream public discussion, but remains of high importance to an industry that has a good efficiency story to tell, but needs to be ever more efficient and sustainable to survive. Discussion around future farm support suggests there may be a link of payments to “environmental good”. What form this will take is not clear. Ideas aired have suggested some form of “Carbon Foot printing” or measure of environmental impact. Retailers and other supply chain groups have worked with producers for a number of years now on measuring this as well. At AHDB Pork we coordinate the Pig Industry Roadmap, “Advancing Together”11


, which takes a lead on industry sustainability,


measures key environmental impacts and has set targets. Rather than concentrating on just Greenhouse Gases (GHGs),


which to date have been most


more often called the “carbon footprint” we have assessed impacts from nitrogen (acidification), phosphorous (eutrophication) and energy consumption (Abiotic resource). These are measured using life cycle assessment (LCA) techniques. LCA repeatedly shows that feed is the largest single factor


influencing GHGs unlike many other industries where carbon dioxide associated with energy consumption is the key GHG, for pigs, it is the environmental burdens associated with feed ingredients and nitrogen compounds from excretion contributing to nitrous oxide gas release


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