Example "Medium scale - high yields": pig farming

If the farm is not large enough and expansion is not possible, then processing the crops from plant production is one way of ensuring profitability. Specialisation in a few products and/or intensification with increased use of purchased inputs (seeds, fertilisers, pesticides) are the usual paths for medium-sized farms. The aim is to achieve high yields with crops that are easy to sell on a mass market, even though prices are usually determined by the tough global market. Annu-al cereal, oilseed or protein crop cultivation is the standard for such farms.
Further economic intensification involves the integration of livestock to add value to arable crops. In more grassland areas, this takes the form of dairy farming (see chapter 8.4.7.1 and 10.3.2), while in arable areas it involves chickens (see chapter 8.4.7.2 and 10.3.3) and pigs. These monogastric livestock species can produce valuable food.

While chicken is accepted in every culture and eggs and chicken meat are eaten, pork is rejected in some cultures. This is particularly true in Muslim societies, but also in Jewish and Christian-Amaric (Ethiopia, Eritrea) societies. In Islam, pork is considered haram, meaning forbidden. This is based on several verses in the Qur’an, such as Surah 2:173, which prohibits the con-sumption of pork because it is seen as impure. Practicing Muslims avoid eating, cooking, or even handling pork products. Instead, they follow halal dietary rules, which define what is reli-giously permissible. In emergencies, however, Islam allows exceptions if no other food is avail-able. In Christian and non-religious cultures alike, pig farming and the consumption of pork (as sausage or roasted or grilled fresh meat) is widespread, provided that animal-based foods are not rejected, which is increasingly the case in the ‘West’.

Photo 1: Transition of agriculture. One of the 3,000 'pig-villages' in the surroundings of Bei-jing (Sun et al. 2006). Zhoukoudian, in the hills southwest of Beijing, is one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. Excavations in the 1920s revealed Homo erectus fossils, known as Peking Man, dating back about 750,000 years. These early humans made stone tools, hunted local animals, and used fire, leaving ash and bones in the cave floors. The site also holds remains of Ice Age wildlife, offering a vivid picture of their environment. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Zhoukoudian links modern Beijing to a deep human past, showing that our story stretches far beyond recorded history. In the village Zhoukoudian live 1,000 people and 10,000 pigs close together. In the pig area, one large room was only used for the mass of drugs, mainly antibiotics. The contaminated slurry was running uncontrolled into the streams and fields: the results are heavy water contamination and losses of nutrients. That resistant germs appear in China increasingly is the consequence.

Medium-sized pig farms typically raise 300–1,000 pigs and operate at a density of about 20–50 pigs per hectare, depending on whether the system is indoor, outdoor, or mixed. Indoor inten-sive systems often use less land but require more infrastructure. These farms can produce 50–150 tons of pork per year. Knowledge, infrastructure, socio-economic frameconditions, efficient management, biosecurity, and access to veterinary care are key to profitability.

The intensification of agriculture has led to them now competing with humans for food, as they are fed crops that are potentially suitable for human consumption, such as grain or soy. This processing industry is therefore economically questionable in terms of global food supply and resource efficiency. However, it makes economic sense, especially for medium-sized farms. Although it does not increase the yield per hectare, it does increase the profit per hectare.

Photo 2: Hunger is prevalent in North Korea but pig fatting is done. One of the pig boxes was used by the farm staff for accomodation.

Photo 3: Pork production became an interesting farm business activity for maize farmers. Sausages bring high prices for the middle-class consumers. The feeding of grain to pigs in a country of hunger and land scarcity is a political issue.

Pigs have always been kept for the purpose of utilising by-products from crop production, food processing, and kitchen waste. Today, most of the pigs are fed vegan (only plant-based diets), despite the are omnivore, and would even digest byproducts from animal husbandry and food processing. In professional pig farming is the risk of pathogens, disease transmission to hu-mans and ethical restrictions (no cannibalism).

Photo 4: Cabbage feeding to vegan pigs

Photo 5: Pig feeding in the rainforest with bananas

Photo 6: Pigs are fed with whey from cheese making on the Alp. They are not vegan fed, and whey has no ethical restriction as feed.

Photo 7: Animal welfare is possible in intensive pig husbandry. Animal welfare in pig farm-ing focuses on ensuring pigs are treated humanely throughout their lives. Key concerns include providing adequate space, proper nutrition, clean water, and opportunities for natural behaviors like rooting and socializing. Ethical farming practices avoid extreme confinement, such as gesta-tion crates, and prioritize pain relief during procedures like castration or tail docking. Improving animal welfare not only benefits pigs but also enhances food quality and farm sustainability.