Life cycle assessment (LCA) of poultry meat production

Description

Addressing the environmental sustainability of livestock systems is a multidimensional challenge that requires a comprehensive understanding of interconnected factors. Systems modeling-based life cycle assessment (LCA) offers a valuable approach to systematically navigate these complex interactions. Although poultry production is generally deemed more environmentally sustainable than other livestock systems, it still contributes to environmental impacts such as global warming, eutrophication, acidification, water use and biodiversity loss. This chapter review the key role of LCA in identifying these impacts and their sources in the poultry production chain, as well as potential mitigation strategies.

Table of contents

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Background and principles of the life cycle assessment framework
• 3 LCA environmental impact categories
• 4 Assessing the environmental impacts of different stages of the poultry production chain
• 5 Options to improve the environmental sustainability of poultry production
• 6 Conclusion
• 7 Where to look for further information
• 8 References