With the increase in worldwide demand for meat, fast-growing species with efficient feed conversion rates – such as pigs – are likely to account for a major share in the growth in the livestock subsector. Commercial pig production has intensified significantly in recent decades. In developing countries, half of the current pig population is still kept in traditional small-scale subsistence-driven production systems in which pigs provide much more than meat playing a role as a financial safety net, providing additional cash for school fees, medical treatment or small investments beside being part of cultural traditions.