ECONOMIC OPTIMIZATION OF PORK PRODUCTION-MARKETING CHAINS .2. MODELING OUTCOME

Dynamic linear programming was used to evaluate the development of por k chain concepts that take animal welfare concerns into account. Pig w elfare attributes and the additional costs of production and distribut ion were balanced. The pig welfare perceptions of both a consumer-rela ted respondent and a pig welfare expert served as input. Pig welfare e stimations represented improvements additional to the pig welfare leve l in the default situation and were expressed on a relative scale from 0 to 100 points, Results showed that at relatively low levels of addi tional pig welfare (i.e. less than or equal to 20 to 30 pig welfare po ints), especially slaughterhouse- and transportation-related attribute s were incorporated into the chain concepts. Examples included the att ributes ''reducing stock densities'' and ''using automated unloading p latforms''. Moreover, ''illumination standards'' were raised in both t he farrowing and fattening stage. Total additional costs ranged from D fl. 0.56 to Dfl. 1.20 per pig from the farrowing to the slaughtering s tage. Sensitivity analysis showed that the least-cost chain concepts a t these low levels of additional pig welfare were very stable. The add itional costs incurred increased progressively at higher levels of add itional pig welfare to a total maximum (i.e. 100 welfare points), rang ing from Dfl. 77 to Dfl. 114. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.