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A report from the Wildlife Trusts has warned that pollution from the “huge” pig and poultry farming sectors is harming rivers, the wider landscape and wildlife.
The study into the environmental impact of these sectors reveals that waste produced from millions of pigs and billions of birds and eggs annually amounts to approximately 10.4 million cubic metres – equivalent to 4,160 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
High levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in the manure make it difficult to use on farmland sustainably, leading to pollution in habitats including rivers, which negatively impacts water quality and freshwater wildlife.
The issue is particularly severe in “hotspots” where poultry and pig production are concentrated, the report warns.
The research, commissioned by the Wildlife Trusts and conducted by Cumulus Consultants, also highlights that over a third of the UK’s wheat crop is used for pig and poultry feed, indicating the “immense” area of land associated with livestock production beyond the intensive farming units themselves.
Much of this land is cultivated using fertilisers and pesticides which can also contaminate the countryside, harming wildlife and habitats, the trusts warn.
Conservationists are urging the Government and industry to support farmers in transitioning to a less polluting and more integrated pig and poultry system to improve river cleanliness and help achieve legally binding environmental targets.
The report reveals that the UK rears, cultivates and slaughters approximately 11 million pigs and 1.1 billion chickens for food annually, with an additional egg-laying flock of around 40 million birds producing roughly 12 billion eggs. This vast industry is dispersed across the UK but is concentrated in specific areas where there is a high risk of significant amounts of waste accumulating in the environment.
For instance, in Breckland and South Norfolk, about 61% of the total farmed area would be needed for muck spreading to maintain a healthy soil phosphorus balance, reports PA.
The report indicated that in England, 30% of pig holdings are in Yorkshire and Humberside, and 28% of all poultry holdings are in the Midlands, with Lincolnshire alone housing one-eighth of England’s broiler flock.
In Wales, nearly 56% of the total poultry flock is located in Powys, while in Northern Ireland, two-thirds of pig holdings are in just two council areas – Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, and Mid Ulster.
The report estimates some 520,000 to 580,000 hectares of wheat grown in the UK is needed for feed for pigs and poultry, equivalent to 34-38% of the country’s total wheat crop, with an associated use of 2,621 tonnes of pesticides including fungicides.
While environmental regulations are in place for pig and poultry housing across the UK, the report warns the majority of breeding sows in England fall outside environmental permitting rules, along with significant proportions of pig populations across the UK.
This means regulators lack a key route to managing the impacts of these farming units, and while a high proportion of poultry farms fall within the rules, not all producers appear to be adopting best practice, the report warns, pointing to pollution issues on the River Wye catchment.
The “significant” environmental impacts of pig and poultry feed production are also outside of any reporting or permitting for the sector.
Barnaby Coupe, senior land use policy manager at the Wildlife Trusts, said: “Assessment of the environmental impacts of pig and poultry production to date has largely focused on the immediate risks of slurry pollution, but this research looks for the first time at the wider risks across the whole UK sector – in particular the vast land take for feed production.
“It’s clear that the significant impacts of pig and poultry production in the UK extend well beyond the intensive farming units themselves, and should leave us in no doubt that further action is needed to address the risks of environmental harms.
“A requirement for nutrient management action plans and reformed permitting regimes can help address these issues, but crucially there must be support from both Government and the industry so farmers are not landed with the burden of fixing this broken system.
“Farmers are facing enormous challenges right now and need support if they are to maximise benefits for the environment, particularly for water quality and biodiversity.”
He said Government policies that will affect the future of farming in England must “recognise the true scale of this industry’s impact on the nation’s environmental resilience”.
He added: “The findings of this report clearly show that solutions must be found by the supply chain and by Government in order to support farmers to transition to a less polluting and more integrated pig and poultry system which in turn helps to clean up our rivers and meet our legally binding nature recovery and climate targets.”
An Environment Department (Defra) spokesperson said: “We share the public’s concern about the health of our waterways and are committed to cleaning up our rivers and cutting down on agricultural pollution.
“We have updated our guidance on the farming rules for water to cut run-off into waterways and doubled funding for Environment Agency farm inspections to drive compliance and support sustainable farm businesses.”
