Livestock farming (especially pig production) in Western Europe is concentrated in several regions where large intensive farms are common. The development of many associated industries in the same regions has led to an efficient operation. Some livestock farms do not have enough land to effectively deal with the manure produced. Even where quantities are not excessive, management problems can arise as the manure is treated as waste rather than as a potential resource. Application of excessive quantities of manure and/or mismanagement has lad to a range of pollution problems, including water contamination (by nitrates, phosphates and organic matter), air pollution (e.g. ammonia, nitrous oxide and methane) and soil pollution (e.g. phosphates and heavy metals/ The odour produced, although not strictly environmental pollution, is sometimes a major problem in the public eye. Measures taken to deal with manure problems include drawing up guidelines for good farming practices and a series of regulations that stipulate manure management methods. These rules are being developed on a Europe-wide scale by EU and also nationally where specific problems occur. The EU nitrate directive is aimed at controlling nitrate leaching by establishing a common upper limit of permissible N loads. The effectiveness of some measures introduced is not yet proven, but early indications are encouraging. Further measures may be necessary. The key to improved management of the various manures produced is to promote them as organic fertilizers rather than considering them as waste. Inorganic fertilizer use has to be reduced in order to tap these news resources. As manure use has to be efficiently managed, storage capacities have to be sufficient so that this product can be spread at ideal times, and there has to be enough land available to spread it at suitable rates.