Grup de Sanejament Porcí de Girona – INNOVACC

• Total project budget: 205.863,66 €

• Start Date: 01/09/2020

  End Date: 30/09/2022

Project Summary: 

Recently, much work has been done on the elimination/recovery/valorization of nutrients, mainly nitrogen. On the contrary, although it is becoming more and more relevant, the impacts on animal welfare due to pollution in the ambient air of fattening farms generated by manure (emissions of gases, particles, etc.) have not been studied in depth nor the repercussion that these impacts have on the productivity (and finally the economic results) of the farms. The lack of animal welfare throughout the production process can negatively affect the quality, hygiene and safety of the food we obtain, since it translates into health problems and a greater predisposition to suffer from multifactorial diseases. For this reason, the main objective of this project is to improve the welfare of livestock in pig farms by mitigating ammonia emissions. To achieve this objective and evaluate both the effectiveness (% reduction in ambient air concentrations) and its efficiency (improvement of production ratios and quality of the final product vs. reduction of emissions), two methodologies for minimizing ammonia emissions will be tested and they are: chemical acidification and use of zeolites (alumino-silicates). 

Our role in the project: 

In this EIP-AGRI Operational Group, the  BETA Technological Center is the subcontracted research organization by the companies ARTIGAS SLU and  VILRAM SLU. Is in charge of studying the current situation and comparing it with the present standards of animal welfare in pigs. The BETA Technological Center will study the mitigation of ammonia emissions by the two treatments carried out (acid and zeolites) and their impact on the animal welfare parameters. Finally, the study of productivity, statistical and techno-economic of the two treatments carried out will be performed. 

Project funded through Operation 16.01.01 (Cooperation for Innovation) through the Rural Development Program of Catalonia 2014-2020.

Order ARP / 133/2017, of 21 June, approving the regulatory bases for aid for cooperation for innovation through the promotion of the creation of operational groups of the European Association for Innovation in matter of agricultural productivity and sustainability and the realization of innovative pilot projects by part of these groups, and Resolution ARP / 1531/2019, of 28 May, by which summons the mentioned help.