(NAFB.com) – The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, partnering with the National Pork Board, announced the Improving Swine Production Air Quality Program Wednesday.

The program dedicates $1 million in grant funding to develop objective measures for key air quality components and concentrations in and within 500 meters of swine production facilities. Using objective methods and metrics assessing air quality is critical for understanding the source of swine production particulates and developing continuous improvement efforts. However, existing air quality measurements are subject to bias, preventing the development of effective strategies to improve air quality.

Swine production air quality studies reveal that researchers unintentionally introduce bias in a variety of ways, clouding efforts to understand the challenges and opportunities. This new research program aims to develop a scientifically valid assessment of particulate levels inside and immediately outside of swine facilities.

NPB’s Heather Fowler says, “Projects such as this will allow us to continue to measure where we are today and look for areas of continuous improvement in the future.”