Although the swine industry isn’t chasing bandits and horse thieves, some allude to it feeling like living in the Wild Wild West when it comes to carbon credits and carbon markets.
“Producers are trying to figure out how they can monetize management practices on their farm through carbon markets,” says Chris Hostetler, director of animal science at the National Pork Board.
Here’s a look at how the industry is tracking greenhouse gas reductions in the pork supply chain. Could pork producers benefit in the future from the capture of carbon credits?
Put the Guardrails in Place
In October, PIC and the National Pork Board announced they are teaming up to develop a framework that will help demonstrate the valuable role genetics play in creating a more sustainable protein supply.
PIC conducted a life cycle assessment to quantify the sustainability benefits that can be achieved through the use of their genetic improvements, including those achieved through gene editing. The company recognized an opportunity for the entire industry to monetize genetic improvements because healthier, more robust pigs are more feed efficient and create less waste. PIC approached the National Pork Board about teaming up to develop this framework because it’s something all pork producers have a stake in.
“PIC recognized one of the things we needed to have in place are guardrails for being able to qualify genetic improvement for the different carbon markets that are out there,” Hostetler says. “The National Pork Board saw it as an opportunity to step in and fund a piece of it so even smaller genetic companies that perhaps don’t have the wherewithal to do it from beginning to end, would at least have those rules in place for capturing the carbon credits for their genetically improved traits.”
The framework will help determine what needs to credibly be done and demonstrated in order for corporations to claim a genetic improvement as a greenhouse gas reduction.