Free-range acorn feeding results in negative carbon footprint of Iberian pig production in the dehesa agro-forestry system

Iberian pig production has its own quality regulation, which defines different handling and feeding systems for this breed. These differences influence production costs, market price and environmental impact. The most extensive system of fattening Iberian pigs is based on foraging acorns in a silvopastoral system named dehesa, and consumers usually associate the Iberian pork with this system, although nowadays more intensive systems are dominant due to their productivity and management simplicity. The aim of this study is to assess the Carbon Footprint (CF) of the different Iberian pig production systems using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology.