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Intensive livestock production and the swine industry in particular is attracting a great deal of attention in Canada. Opportunities in the global marketplace are prompting much of this attention. Canada is all ready a major player in the world trade of pork, ranking 4th in net exports. Canada is also widely recognized as possessing significant cost of production advantages which allow it to be a strong international competitor. Canadian pork exports have increased from $ 6.7 millions in 1988 to $ 1.1 billion in 1996 (CPC, 1998). These exporting opportunities have triggered many changes in the industry, with expansion of production an important element of those changes. The number of hogs marketed in Canada had been relatively stable between 1984 and 1994, however this number has been increasing since 1994. While at the same time the number of farms producing pigs has decreased significantly in the last decade in Canada (from 36,472 in 1986 to 21,105 in 1996) and in most provinces. In Ontario the number of farms has declined from 12,933 in 1986 to 6,777 in 1996. Production increases have come from increases in the average number of pigs produced per farm. The average Canadian farm inventory increased from 268 pigs per farm in 1986 to 523 in 1996. For Ontario, pig inventory increased from 241 to 418 pigs per farm (CPC, 1998).

With the increase in the size of the production units, farming as well as the non-farming public have become increasingly aware of the relationship between intensive livestock rearing and the environment. Adjustment to the increasing size of production units has presented technical challenges to pork producers but has also presented challenges for rural residents living near larger production sites.

These changes to farm size and structure have been coupled with changes to the economic and social structure of the rural landscape. Residential developments are sought in rural areas to take advantage of the wide open spaces and in many cases to benefit from lower taxation rates than in cities. Many communities that had been traditionally dependent on farming have turned to other bases for their economies and in some cases tourism, recreation, or manufacturing have developed.

These changes have intensified the conflict over alternative uses of the rural environment. Odour complaints, concerns about water quality, and pollution in general are concerns of both the farming and non-farming rural population which perceive intensive livestock units as contributing to these problems.

This monograph you are reading tries to provide information on the issues related to environment and intensive livestock management. The literature review and the database that accompanies it provides an accurate portrait of the current state of knowledge. Our objective is to present and explain the research efforts carried out by numerous institutions which address the environmental issues associated with livestock production, particularly swine production. The report goes further in identifying areas that need further study.

The end-product is a tool that can be consulted using Internet technology and is composed of two elements, a literature review and database of the publications consulted. The literature review is divided into 14 chapters that are presented independently to treat the issues as thoroughly as the published information and time schedule allowed us. As a result some chapters are more exhaustive than others. Although chapters are designed to stand alone, in some cases, a suggestion is made to consult another chapter to get a better understanding of the situation particularly for closely related subjects. For example the chapters on Soils and Water should be read together to appreciate the interaction of the scientific disciplines.

The database that has been developed is a tool that can and should be constantly updated. This constant updating reflects the fact that questions on environmental issues are being addressed by a large body of scientists worldwide. For the development of the database and the literature review, emphasis was put on scientific articles as information from such sources can be verified, used as reference and also used as solid grounds for further work.