By Abbas Nazil
A new report has revealed that pollution from pig and poultry farming is harming the environment on a massive scale, with waste from the sectors amounting to around 10.4 million cubic metres annually, equivalent to filling more than 4,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The study, commissioned by the Wildlife Trusts and conducted by Cumulus Consultants, highlights that the waste, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, cannot be sustainably managed on farmland.
Instead, it spills into rivers and other habitats, degrading water quality and threatening freshwater wildlife.
The problem is most severe in “hotspot” regions where pig and poultry farming is highly concentrated, resulting in localized but extreme environmental damage.
The report notes that the UK produces approximately 11 million pigs and 1.1 billion chickens annually, alongside a laying flock of 40 million birds producing about 12 billion eggs.
This huge industry, though spread across the UK, is concentrated in particular areas such as Yorkshire, Humberside, the Midlands, Powys in Wales, and parts of Northern Ireland, leading to concentrated waste management problems.
For example, in Breckland and South Norfolk, more than 60 percent of the farmed area would be required for manure spreading to maintain a healthy soil phosphorus balance, a demand that is clearly unsustainable.
In addition to manure, the report emphasizes the wider environmental impact of feed production.
Between 520,000 and 580,000 hectares of wheat, or roughly 34 to 38 percent of the UK’s total wheat crop, is grown for pig and poultry feed.
This comes with heavy use of pesticides, estimated at over 2,600 tonnes annually, compounding the damage to farmland and biodiversity.
Environmental regulations exist for pig and poultry housing, but significant loopholes remain.
Most breeding sows in England fall outside environmental permitting rules, leaving regulators unable to manage many impacts effectively.
While many poultry farms are covered under these rules, not all adhere to best practices, as seen in the ongoing pollution problems in the River Wye catchment.
The Wildlife Trusts argue that the impacts of pig and poultry farming extend far beyond the intensive units themselves and call for urgent reforms.
They propose stricter permitting regimes, nutrient management plans, and greater government and industry support for farmers to transition to less polluting, integrated systems.
Barnaby Coupe, senior land use policy manager at the Wildlife Trusts, warned that the scale of environmental damage cannot be ignored.
He stressed that solutions must come not only from farmers but also from the wider supply chain and government, which must recognize the full impact of the industry on environmental resilience.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) responded by stating that it shares public concerns about river health.
It highlighted recent steps including updated guidance on farming rules for water, increased inspections, and doubled funding for Environment Agency farm compliance checks to curb pollution.
However, campaigners insist more must be done to meet legally binding environmental targets for biodiversity and climate, with pig and poultry farming at the center of this challenge.
