SUSTAINED UTILIZATION OF THE IBERIAN PIG BREED

The Iberian pig is one of the scarce non-improved swine breeds which s urvives the modern techniques of pig production based an improved geno types. This is attributed both to its perfect adaptation to the Medite rranean natural ecosystem and the high quality of its products. The pr oduction of meat products from Iberian pigs has very little in common with that of meat products obtained from selected pigs raised under in tensive conditions, and it constitutes an example of the preparation o f high quality meat products, comparable to the most exquisite food pr oducts in the world. The production of Iberian pig is deeply bound to the Mediterranean ecosystem. It is a rare example in the world swine p roduction where the pig contributes so decisively to the preservation of the ecosystem. The aim of this review is to describe in detail the traditional feeding of the Iberian pigs in La Dehesa and to discuss so me aspects of the use of alternatives to this production system. Some of the experience in the formulation of compounds feeds for Iberian pi gs and in the processing of meat products could be useful in the feedi ng of other pig genotypes and in different meat processing strategies. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.