This special issue summarises a part of the results obtained from the pluridisciplinary and pluri institutional programme "Porcherie verte" set up at INRA's initiative in 2000. After a general introduction on the potential environmental impacts of pig breeding and the main waste treatment management plans that exist, a first part presents the objectives and the structure of the programme and the partners implicated. Then an assessment is made of the research actions led and the resulting publications. The following papers present a summary of the results obtained with the "Porcherie verte" programme on the future of elements at risk for the environment (nitrogen, phosphorus and trace metals), gas emissions of ammoniac and green house gases (nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide) and olfaction nuisances. A final article treats the overall evaluation of the sustainability of pig meat production systems and their optimisation on the farm level.