By René Roy
Editor’s note: René Roy is Chair, Canadian Pork Council. He can be contacted at ‘roy@cpc-ccp.com.’
When the topic of sustainability in animal agriculture is raised, very often, it’s misunderstood or misinterpreted.
Last year, the Government of Canada published a discussion paper for its ‘Sustainable Agriculture Strategy’ (SAS), which describes a proposed approach to improving agricultural practices in Canada. Unfortunately, the ambition of the strategy outweighs its ability to be practically implemented by the Canadian pork sector. In short, there simply aren’t enough available resources to drive change.
Recognizing the need to clearly articulate its response to the SAS, the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) board of directors recently unveiled our sustainability framework, including a 25-year outlook for the sector, to 2050. The framework includes environmental stewardship, animal health and care, consumer health and food safety, and economic resilience.
Taken together, CPC’s sustainability framework reflects a broader yet more refined approach that is tailored to the unique needs of Canada’s hog producers, including setting realistic short- and medium-term goals that will lay the foundation for long-term targets.
More than just paying lip service to eco-consciousness, sustainability in our sector reflects our commitment to a greener future both for the sake of the environment and for the ongoing viability of pig and pork production, which not only employs thousands of Canadians and feeds millions in Canada and around the world but also adds $24 billion to the national economy every year.
Looking at CPC’s sustainability framework and its principles through the lens of on-farm applications, we find plenty of examples showcasing the great work of producers, reflected in every major hog-producing region in the country.
Renewable energy benefits barns
John Van Engelen runs a 350-sow, farrow-to-finish operation east of Sarnia, Ontario, with help from his daughter and son-in-law – and just about every piece of state-of-the-art barn technology you can imagine.
“I’ve pretty much got everything that’s out there,” said Van Engelen. “We’re doing everything here as efficiently as possible.”
For Van Engelen, that means using modern ventilation, precision feeders and powering his farm exclusively with renewable electricity.
“We have a wind turbine, and we’re in the process of installing solar panels on the roof of our barn,” said Van Engelen. “We actually over-produce power and sell some back to the grid. The cheque I get is as big as my bill!”
Van Engelen’s innovative approach not only supports the principles of sustainability but also contributes directly to herd health and biosecurity.
“Our barn is completely Wi-Fi-linked, and I have RFID [radio-frequency identification] tags on all my animals,” said Van Engelen. “That way, I can track their individual performance and make adjustments to feed rations, as needed.”
Van Engelen’s feeders eliminate waste by automatically dispensing carefully calculated portions six times daily, with two different diets for sows and two different diets for weaners and finishers. His feeders include a Bluetooth-enabled trigger in case hungry pigs would like more feed, which allows Van Engelen to make that happen whether he’s in the barn or anywhere, from his phone.
“I might be in the barn 12 hours a day, but it monitors the barn 24/7,” said Van Engelen. “The fact we have full internet connectivity on our farm helps a lot. Not everyone has that, unfortunately.”
Keeping barns at optimal temperature in the dead of a Canadian winter is a challenge all producers can relate to. Van Engelen fights the elements with the help of an AirWorks Ventilation System heat exchanger built out of field tiles and constructed to capture and recycle heat that exits through fans.
“When it’s minus-25 degrees-Celsius outside, I can bring that air back into my barn at zero,” said Van Engelen. “The [AirWorks] system I use means that the recycled air is exceptional quality, with no ammonia or harmful gases.”
At the heart of it all, sustainability for Van Engelen is about more than just saving energy and costs, but a decades-long legacy and the ability to be as self-sufficient as possible.
“When things break down, we like to fix them ourselves,” said Van Engelen. “We’re also in succession planning right now. My parents came to Canada more than 60 years ago, and I’ve been at this for more than 40 years. We’re happy to see the farm continuing with the next generation.”
Bang for your buck by combining energy streams
Chris Waldner is the electrician for Hartland Colony, which includes a 650-sow, farrow-to-finish operation, southeast of Edmonton. Six years ago, the farm installed a combined heat and power (CHP) unit to offset their energy usage and recover otherwise-wasted heat, which has helped power their entire colony – not only the farming side but also their homes, school, church and other common buildings. Recovered heat is used as part of the canola-crushing process to separate the canola meal from the oil, serving the farm and providing another income stream.
CHP uses a feedstock like natural gas, methane or biogas, which is efficiently combusted to power an electrical generator. While CHP is better-known for powering large commercial and industrial buildings, it’s becoming increasingly popular on farms.
“Wherever it’s possible to cut costs on the farm, it makes sense,” said Waldner. “This technology has been around in Europe for a long time, so we went over there ourselves to see if it would work for us.”
The CHP unit – manufactured by TEDOM, in Czechia – initially cost more than $600,000 all-in, from purchase to delivery to installation. In just over three years of operation, the capital cost was considered completely recovered, slightly quicker than anticipated, and well before the machine’s useful life expires. It is estimated to be running for another decade, at the bare minimum.
Initially, Hartland’s unit was operating at around 85 per cent capacity, based on need, but starting in mid-2020, the colony was offered a new contract by its utility supplier to be credited for unused electricity.
“At this point, the machine has more than paid for itself,” said Waldner. “We’re running at 100 per cent capacity, all day, all night, and we’re now even putting excess electricity back into the grid.”
The success of Hartland’s first unit prompted them to purchase another nearly two years ago. They opted to go with a $750,000 unit manufactured by Missouri-based Martin Energy Group. Like the first unit, that initial investment is expected to be recovered in a fraction of the time compared to the technology’s lifespan. So far, the newer unit is about half paid-off.
“You’re going to spend a lot for electricity one way or the other,” said Waldner. “Why not invest in the equipment instead?”
Having two units functioning simultaneously has worked excellently for Hartland. In January 2024 alone, the farm earned more than $50,000 selling electricity back to the grid while providing for all of its own needs. Hartland’s success has resonated with neighbouring farms, and so far, more than 10 others are actively investigating or purchasing their own CHP units.
But electricity is not the only form of energy that’s being recycled on Canadian hog farms. Manure represents one of the most widely available and useful products that is fuelling crop growth and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and related nitrous oxide emissions – another climate-related target for our federal government.
Manure provides valuable nutrients to crops
Peter Gross is the hog barn manager for Sunnydale Colony’s 1,000-sow, farrow-to-finish operation, west of Saskatoon. Three years ago, he began using a device – the John Deere HarvestLab 3000 – that would prove to be a game-changer for precision manure application.
“Before using it, we didn’t realize how much of our manure we were wasting,” said Gross. “If you have a wet or dry year, your field will have different nutritional needs when you go to spread manure in the fall, but applying the right amount in the right places is crucial.”
Because hog manure is incredibly variable in terms of its nutrient profile, lab testing is a necessary but time-consuming first step to being able to use it.
“I used to sample our manure pit at different intervals over several days, then send that out for testing, which took time and money,” said Gross. “Once we started using the new device, we took a sample to validate the levels it was dispensing, and it was very accurate. It does what it claims to.”
The HarvestLab 3000, which retails for around $65,000, measures nutrient levels and makes real-time adjustments to tractor speed based off of the data it contains.
“It’ll speed the tractor up if the nitrogen level is stronger, and it’ll slow the tractor down if it’s weaker,” said Gross. “Last year, we were able to do double the number of acres compared to two years before, and our crop was better compared to when we weren’t using the device.”
Incorporating the technology into Sunnydale’s operation is part of a full-scale transformation.
“You can’t get any better than high-quality, rich, organic manure,” said Gross. “We’ve actually converted entirely to sustainable farming. We try to avoid using any chemical inputs anymore, not only because it’s less environmentally friendly and costs more, but because we’re getting better performance this way.”
According to Gross, some of the grains grown as part of Sunnydale’s crop production are used in their hog rations. Gross believes Sunnydale’s manure-fertilized barley has provided additional gut health benefits compared to conventional barley that’s been desiccated prior to harvest.
“We’ve proven that you don’t need to run the sprayer through the crop before harvest,” said Gross. “The more years we go without using chemicals on our land, the better our land gets.”
Looking at manure differently
When Sylvain Bouffard wanted to expand his 550-sow, farrow-to-finish operation into a 1,500-sow operation two years ago, manure management became important to consider. Whereas many commercial hog farms use manure pits and lagoons to store waste for long periods of time, Bouffard wanted to explore his options. With no crops of his own to fertilize, he began looking for novel opportunities.
“Our industry faces a lot of pressure to do better,” said Bouffard. “For me, looking for alternatives to traditional manure storage makes sense for everyone, including the public and the environment.”
Bouffard’s farm, located in the Beauce region, southeast of Quebec City, is found in one of Canada’s most densely concentrated spots for intensive hog production, placing it in a position of frequent scrutiny. It’s for that reason Solugen Global – a supplier of nitrogen-based fertilizer made from livestock waste – purchased its processing facility in nearby Lévis. After two years and more than $20 million of renovations later, earlier this year, the company commercialized its flagship product, called ‘Azogen.’
“In recent years, the concept of a circular economy has gained traction across various industries as a sustainable alternative to the traditional linear economic model of ‘take, make, dispose,’” said André Beaulieu Blanchette, President & CEO, Solugen. “Azogen exemplifies the application of circular economy principles in agriculture by reducing greenhouse gases that commonly result from conventional manure storage and surface application to crop fields.”
Solugen Global started its journey with Bouffard as its first client and has since recruited other hog producers in the Beauce region, from whom the company collects manure every day, Monday through Friday. For producers, it eliminates the need to store the manure and reduces odours by around 90 per cent – a major benefit to the surrounding community.
“We are able to process up to 150,000 tonnes of manure a year, which represents about 150,000 finishing pigs’ worth,” said Blanchette. “Our goal is not just to take the manure and transform it for our own purposes but to establish long-term partnerships with our producers who supply it.”
Solugen Global subjects the collected manure to a screw press system to separate the liquid and solid components. Following separation, liquid components are heated through a propriety process that generates several sub-products, including clean water and a nutrient-rich solution. The water is filtered and returned to the local municipal system, while the organic solution is turned into Azogen.
Azogen is endorsed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) as an authorized product for use in organic production in the U.S.; however, at present, the product is not yet authorized for use in organic agriculture in Canada. Nevertheless, Azogen is registered as a fertilizer by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and can still be used in conventional agriculture. Currently, all sales of Azogen are to U.S.-based distributors for organic and regenerative agriculture. While sales are strong, Blanchette looks forward to advancing the organic approval process in Canada.
“Ultimately, we have a disagreement over product claims,” said Blanchette. “We’re excited to build our brand in Canada and hope that we can overcome this regulatory hurdle.”
Sustainability fatigue isn’t hard to come by in agriculture, on account of costs and barriers like red tape, in Solugen Global’s case. For most hog producers, financing is the single biggest challenge to overcome.
Investment is key to implementation
Kevin Kurbis is the Director of Hog Solutions for AgriHub: a group of brands working together to serve livestock sectors in Manitoba and across western Canada. In his experience with hog producers, Kurbis has noticed a lot of common challenges and potential solutions, both short- and long-term.
“Over the last while, the mentality has been, ‘fix what you have to,’” said Kurbis. “For example, if you spend $50,000 up front to purchase some new equipment, and the energy savings make it pay for itself in two years, producers understand the math, but the cash just isn’t there for a lot of them.”
Echoing many across the industry, Kurbis believes a combination of unfortunate market forces and unfavourable investment is making it difficult for producers to make efficiency improvements.
“The solution isn’t necessarily more government money but more secured access to capital,” said Kurbis. “Even as interest rates cool, costs aren’t. The new reality of inputs is that everything is higher. The only way it can be sustainable is if the market changes.”
Despite costs, Kurbis believes that ingenuity can continue to play a role.
“Not all savings are obvious. There’s the hidden expense of feed conversion that is often overlooked,” said Kurbis. “If a producer can improve that, it’s actually going to have a higher payback than saving a bit of electricity. It’s just hard to quantify.”
During this year’s MAGAPOR International Technical Meeting, in Spain, Kurbis was invited to speak to the environmental impact of sows.
“Heating and ventilation are obviously needed in a country like Canada, but cooling isn’t something we talk a lot about, for instance,” said Kurbis. “Some of the technologies being developed like cooling pads are showing some pretty impressive health impacts, which can make sows less energy-dependent, reducing their need for feed.”
Altogether, Kurbis is hopeful that producers are able to realize the potential within their operations and work toward solutions that lower their environmental footprint while saving them money.
“All efficiency improvements are based on your starting point,” said Kurbis. “The more room you have to improve, the more attractive it might be for you to start making changes.”
And while hog producers across Canada range in terms of their ability to become more sustainable, there are several commonalities working against them: the federal government’s lofty climate goals, lack of access to applicable financial support and a carbon tax that is driving up costs and making Canadian pork less competitive relative to other jurisdictions.
Producers are committed but need support
Above all, sustainability improvements in the Canadian pork sector have not been achieved overnight; they’ve taken decades of research, development, testing and appropriate financing to see great ideas turned into practical solutions – and they still have a long way to go.
While Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) funding programs can support the transition toward the use of clean technologies in agriculture, inconsistency in their delivery and criteria make them difficult to access.
Moreover, the annually increasing carbon tax continues to threaten many operations that are already facing pressures beyond their control. Heating barns promotes a high standard of animal welfare, but producers today have few viable options except to use natural gas or propane for this purpose.
Despite the best efforts of producers, and despite government funding to match capital investments into technology, the bridge to net-zero agricultural emissions by 2050 – a federal government commitment made in 2021 – still appears well out-of-reach.
At the most basic level, Canada’s hog producers are often fighting a losing battle against political pressures that are making sustainability a monumental task. Unless policy-makers can meet the sector halfway and recognize the work already done, along with providing adequate support for work in the future, it’s unlikely we will get there.
Even so, Canada’s hog producers are leading the way as defenders of food safety, food security, food affordability and food sustainability. The CPC’s sustainability framework serves as a roadmap to long-term success by providing opportunities to explore innovations and efficiencies in hog production, enhancing the Canadian pork sector’s competitiveness and leadership in the global marketplace.
