BEST TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE WELFARE IN ANIMAL PRODUCTION ACCORDING TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

This PhD thesis investigates the environmental impact of livestock farming, addressing global challenges related to both terrestrial and aquatic livestock, highlighting the different stages technological progress in these sectors. The challenges include key pollutants, the sustainability of farming practices, animal welfare, and the mitigation of environmental degradation in the context of climate change. The scientific questions posed in this research explore how best to monitor and mitigate the environmental impacts of both sectors, improve animal health and welfare, and enhance operational efficiency through innovative technologies. Specifically, the research investigates the effectiveness of various mitigation and remediation techniques in agroecosystems and aquaculture systems, with the aim of reducing environmental footprints while maintaining or improving productivity. The analysis includes regulatory frameworks for pollution control and aims to identify the Best Available Techniques (BAT), or advanced buildings, plants and management systems, to minimise environmental degradation. The studies were performed together with the impact of environmental pollutants on animal health and welfare, illustrating how improved environmental management can enhance production efficiency, thanks to the implementation of sensor-based systems and precision farming technologies that monitor a large quantity of information, providing a data-driven decision approach. The thesis is structured into ten chapters. The first part (Chapters 1-5) is dedicated to terrestrial livestock husbandry (swine, poultry and cattle), with a brief degression on honeybees farming as an indicator of air quality. Indeed, the world of beekeeping is a kind of breeding that does not impact the environment; on the contrary, bees are susceptible to the pollutants produced by other activities, such as industrial, agricultural, traffic, etc. The second part (Chapters 6-9) focuses on aquaculture, specifically recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), which can reduce aquaculture's environmental footprint by minimising water use and waste discharge. A key study within this section is the Fish-photoCAT project, funded by the European PRIMA program, which evaluates the effectiveness of a photo-electrocatalytic water remediation system compared to traditional biofiltration systems. This study examines the impact on fish welfare, including health and stress markers, and quantifies ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions. Chapter 10 assesses the economic viability of technological solutions and energy consumption in livestock farming and aquaculture, analyzing the general impact on environmental sustainability, offering insights into future developments, focusing on reducing costs and improving operational efficiency for wider adoption. Thesis ends providing a comprehensive synthesis of the findings and insights derived from the research conducted on both terrestrial livestock farming and aquaculture systems. This research comprehensively evaluates the environmental impacts of livestock farming and aquaculture, presenting solutions that balance increased production, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability according to economic viability.