Back to growth for Dutch pig production: how to understand it?

In the Netherlands, pig production increased very rapidly from the 60s to the 80s and then stabilized for ten years under the first environmental actions. The sharp decline triggered by swine fever in 1997 continued until 2003 under the government authority.Since 2003, the pig livestock has had a new significant increase despite a deteriorated environmental situation. In 2010, this small country, whose arable area is only 17% larger than that of Brittany, had 12.2 million pigs or 48% more than in Brittany.This article specifies the environmental and economic issues and the social debates induced by the huge restructuring of pig farms in this country. Results are based on a study conducted by IFIP in 2011. Besides the analysis of statistical data and literature, numerous discussions with political and economic actors in the Netherlands made it possible to identify cultural factors determining the dynamics of the pig industry. To better understand how the Netherlands has implemented their pig farm restructuring strategy is of great interest for France and Brittany in particular; indeed, some Dutch developments have foreshadowed what could happen in our country.