Trends in pig farming in the European Union: an evolving model

Over the past ten years, pig production, stable in the EU as a whole, declined slightly in France. It increased in some places (Germany, Spain, Denmark ...), collapsed elsewhere (UK, Central Europe ...), decreased then increased again in the Netherlands, fluctuated widely in Poland… So one can see the removal of production accompanied by a profound and rapid evolution of the pig farms.All these changes occur under the combined effect of economic and commercial competition within the EU, the confrontation with the world as a result of more and more trade, EU regulations and their national adaptations (environment, welfare, safety ...), the expectations of citizens and consumers, political, economic and social conditions, the dynamic of the entire industry ... This defines a landscape of evolving European pig production, obeying different logics.This synthesis paper highlights the main facts observed and describes and characterizes current changes. Based on extensive international literature, mainly in the field of economics, sociology and political analysis, it reveals in particular the societal mechanisms that, in the main countries, encourage or discourage the different types of evolution. In the end, it questions the sustainability of different models, conventional, specialized or industrial and the likelihood of promoting truly sustainable production.