The cultivation of animal feed significantly affects
global land use and resources, creating competition
for arable land between livestock feed
and human food production. At the same time,
by-products from food production are often used
in suboptimal processes like biogas production.
Concentrate feed for pigs also does not fully meet
their health and behavioral needs. To explore more
sustainable and species-appropriate feeding practices,
in this on-farm study eight groups of organic
pigs were fed either with concentrate feed only, or
supplementing part of the concentrate feed with
vegetable and fruit scraps. This approach aimed to
diversify their diet and reduce concentrate feed intake
while offering an upcycling alternative for human
food by-products. Results indicated that vegetable
and fruit scraps contributed little to the pigs‘
energy and nutrient supply. This was highlighted
by lower daily weight gains and lower weights in
animals exposed to the vegetable-enriched diet.
Nevertheless, this diet positively influenced animal
welfare and health, leading to increased playfulness
and reduced diarrhea, respectively. Therefore,
incorporating vegetable and fruit scraps into pigs’
diet is a promising, yet to be optimized, approach
towards increasing sustainability in the pork industry
while enhancing animal welfare.