Diversity and sustainability in the pig industry in Guadeloupe
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In Guadeloupe, a French overseas department in the Caribbean, the dominant model in the pig sector introduced in the seventies was often in contrast to the so-called traditional pig units, completely neglected by policy makers. Taking advantage of a rapid field survey intended to build farm models, economists and animal production specialists decided to identify the main existing pig rearing systems, assuming that there were a wide variety of them and that most of the so-called “non-professional” pig production systems can play a significant role in terms of sustainable development. First, five main pig farming systems are described from a technical and economic perspective (herd structure, breeds used, reproduction management, feeding strategy, sanitation methods, marketing practices and results). These systems form the dominant model (more than 20 breeding sows, 2% of the units in Guadeloupe), while four small and medium sized unit (SMU) systems have been identified too. Next, the SMUs are shown to be more sustainable than the dominant model in various fields. The conclusion refers to the social and economic importance of these SMUs (40% of the supply in fresh meat) and the need to adapt the development and extension policies to this variety of pig farming systems.