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Environmental Impacts of Cultured Meat Production
Abstract
Cultured meat (i.e., meat produced in vitro using tissue engineering techniques) is being developed as a potentially healthier and more efficient alternative to conventional meat. Life cycle assessment (LCA) research method was used for assessing environmental impacts of large-scale cultured meat production. Cyanobacteria hydrolysate was assumed to be used as the nutrient and energy source for muscle cell growth. The results showed that production of 1000 kg cultured meat requires 26-33 GJ energy, 367-521 m(3) water, 190-230 m(2) land, and emits 1900-2240 kg CO(2)-eq GHG emissions. In comparison to conventionally produced European meat, cultured meat involves approximately 7-45% lower energy use (only poultry has lower energy use), 78-96% lower GHG emissions, 99% lower land use, and 82-96% lower water use depending on the product compared. Despite high uncertainty, it is concluded that the overall environmental impacts of cultured meat production are substantially lower than those of conventionally produced meat.
... a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water consumption (Gerber et al., 2013). By contrast, lab-grown meat production uses significantly less land and water and generates fewer greenhouse gases (Tuomisto & de Mattos, 2011). A study by Tuomisto and de Mattos (2011) estimated that cultured meat production could reduce land use by up to 99% and water use by up to 96% compared to conventional meat production. ...
... By contrast, lab-grown meat production uses significantly less land and water and generates fewer greenhouse gases (Tuomisto & de Mattos, 2011). A study by Tuomisto and de Mattos (2011) estimated that cultured meat production could reduce land use by up to 99% and water use by up to 96% compared to conventional meat production. This reduction in resource use makes lab-grown meat a more sustainable option for feeding the growing global population, which is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 (United Nations, 2019). ...
... Economies of scale will play a critical role in reducing the cost of lab-grown meat. As production techniques are refined and scaled up, the cost of key inputs is expected to decrease, making lab-grown meat more economically viable (Tuomisto & de Mattos, 2011). Investment in infrastructure and technological advancements in bioreactor design will also contribute to cost reductions. ...
... The meat production system needs 15.500 m 3 /ton of water, while the chicken production system requires 3.918 m3/ton of water to function (41), which increases the stress on water resources and the environment. In contrast with conventionally produced beef, lamb, pork, and chicken, cultured meat production emits significantly less greenhouse gas and uses less land, water, and energy by 78-96%, 99%, 82-96%, and 7-45%, respectively (89). ...
... Land Usage: Compared to conventional meat production, cultured meat causes 99% less land use (89). But there are also opposing views on this. ...
... The share of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions, particularly methane, originating from ruminants' digestive tracts is quite large in world greenhouse gas emissions. While some of the studies conducted on this subject showed that cultured meat was advantageous (89), others were inconclusive (53). Fossil energy used to heat the culture cells in cultured meat production releases carbon dioxide (20). ...
Cultured meat is presented to consumers as a good alternative to traditional animal-based meat production to meet the meat needs of the growing population. This review aims to compare this subject across various dimensions such as resource requirements, nutritional aspects, cost structure, consumer acceptance and market trends by focusing on recent publications. Cultured meat can be produced by applying existing cell culture practices and bio manufacturing methods to produce tissue or dietary proteins suitable for human consumption. Studies have shown that cultured meat has some advantages over conventional meat in issues such as the environment and animal meat-related diseases. Cultured meat is a promising but early-stage technology with significant technical challenges in terms of production costs and optimized methodology. Besides this, the texture, taste, and nutritional values of conventional meat cannot be completely achieved in cultured meat. Religious beliefs, price, ethical values, and regional factors are important considerations in consumers' perception of cultured meat. Currently, the level of research conducted on aspects such as consumer acceptance, cost, texture, taste, and other characteristics closely resembling conventional meat will directly influence the entry into the market, its success in the market, and its acceptance by consumers. There is a need for further research and analysis with the joint participation of academic and sectoral stakeholders to address all technical, social and economic dimensions.
... It also investigates the application of genetic engineering methods, such as CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/ CRISPR-associated protein), in the context of cellular agriculture. Moreover, it examines aspects such as food safety, regulatory considerations, and consumer further expansion of the current livestock system, which already has a larger environmental footprint due to greenhouse gas and nitrogen emissions, land and water usage, and biodiversity loss (Peters et al. 2007;Tuomisto and Teixeira De Mattos 2011;Scarborough et al. 2014;Eshel et al. 2014;Sinke et al. 2023). Livestock production accounts for almost 20% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest emission contributor in the food system (Crippa et al. 2021;Twine 2021). ...
... When compared to conventional livestock, cultivated meat, such as chicken, pork, and beef, can reduce emissions by 17, 52, and 85 to 92%, respectively (Sinke & Odegard 2021). The first life cycle assessment (LCA) study on cultured meat was conducted by Tuomisto andde Mattos in 2011, considering cyanobacteria-based feedstock. In 2014, Tuomisto et al. amended the study to consider alternative feedstocks like wheat or corn. ...
... In 2014, Tuomisto et al. amended the study to consider alternative feedstocks like wheat or corn. According to a preliminary LCA done in 2014, cultured meat uses 7 to 45% less energy,78 to 96% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, 99% reduced utilisation of land, and 82 to 96% lower consumption of water resources than farmed meat (Tuomisto and Teixeira De Mattos 2011). The latest study was conducted by Sinke and Odegard in (2021), in which they used primary data from several cultured meat companies and concluded that cultured meat may have a better environmental impact over several conventionally produced meat types, resulting in less land use (for all meat types) and a lower carbon footprint (for beef, while being comparable to pork and chicken). ...
Food security is a major concern due to the growing population and climate change. A method for increasing food production is the use of modern biotechnology, such as cell culture, marker-assisted selection, and genetic engineering. Cellular agriculture has enabled the production of cell-cultivated meat in bioreactors that mimic the properties of conventional meat. Furthermore, 3D food printing technology has improved food production by adding new nutritional and organoleptic properties. Marker-assisted selection and genetic engineering could play an important role in producing animals and crops with desirable traits. Therefore, integrating cellular agriculture with genetic engineering technology could be a potential strategy for the production of cell-based meat and seafood with high health benefits in the future. This review highlights the production of cell-cultivated meat derived from a variety of species, including livestock, birds, fish, and marine crustaceans. It also investigates the application of genetic engineering methods, such as CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein), in the context of cellular agriculture. Moreover, it examines aspects such as food safety, regulatory considerations, and consumer acceptance of genetically engineered cell-cultivated meat and seafood.
... Numerous studies indicate that promoting artificial meat can alleviate water and land resource pressures and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Simeone and Scarpato, 2020;Mattick et al., 2015;Tuomisto and Teixeira de Mattos, 2011;Tuomisto et al., 2014). Plant-based meat production consumes less water and land than traditional methods and provides sufficient plant protein to meet basic human nutritional needs (Sheng et al., 2020). ...
... It only needs nutritional factors to maintain cell tissue growth (Bhat et al., 2015). Previous studies have demonstrated that cultured meat production consumes less energy, emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions, requires less land, and uses less water compared to traditional farm-raised meat (Tuomisto and Teixeira de Mattos, 2011;Tuomisto et al., 2014). These findings highlight the potential of cultured meat in significantly improving the eco-environment. ...
Artificial meat is increasingly recognized as a crucial innovation for addressing global food security challenges and reducing environmental pressures. This study aims to understand the practicability of promoting artificial meat consumption to achieve the dual goals of improving food security and reducing resource-environment pressure by evaluating Chinese consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for artificial meat. A discrete choice experiment was conducted via an online survey involving 998 consumers from five representative Chinese cities. The experiment was designed to elicit preferences and WTP for artificial meat. A random information intervention providing positive information about artificial meat was included to examine its impact on consumer choices. The estimation results indicate significantly lower WTP for both cultured and plant-based meat compared to farm-raised meat, with plant-based meat receiving higher WTP than cultured meat. The information intervention notably reduced the WTP gap between artificial meat and farm-raised meat, suggesting that consumer education can positively influence acceptance. The findings suggest that the market introduction of artificial meat in China faces considerable challenges, particularly regarding consumer acceptance and perceived value. While positive information can reduce the disparity in WTP, the practicability of promoting artificial meat to achieve food security and environmental sustainability goals is currently limited. This study contributes to the literature on consumer attitudes towards artificial meat in China and provides critical insights for policymakers aiming to promote the consumption of artificial meat.
... They are also motivations behind the burgeoning field of 'alternative proteins' or 'cellular agriculture', which seeks to develop complementary approaches to producing animal meat or protein rich alternatives that can serve as faithful replacements for animal origin (AO) products. Environmental modeling has predicted or shown that these alternatives can serve as a more sustainable source of dietary protein compared to traditional animal agriculture 12,13 , while providing other benefits such as a reduction in antibiotic usage and improvements to animal welfare 14 . ...
... The scale of the environmental benefit is influenced by several factors including the specific type of meat alternative (i.e., plant-based meat vs. cell-based meat) 13 , specific production or formulation variables (i.e., plant protein source 67 , growth media 68 ) as well as the species of animal meat (i.e., chicken vs. beef 69 ) and the production system (i.e., intensive vs. extensive 70 ) used for comparative studies. LCAs have consistently found net environmental benefits associated with substituting beef and other ruminant meats with alternative meats 12,[71][72][73] . When compared to chicken and fish, the results are more nuanced with alternative meat products offering environmental benefits in some categories but drawbacks in other impact areas 73 . ...
Concerns surrounding the environmental, economic, and ethical consequences of meat production and industrial agriculture have prompted substantial research and capital investment into the production of meat alternatives. Alternative meat production encompasses a variety of technological approaches including plant-based meats, cell-based or cultivated meats, meat alternatives relying on fungal protein sources, and hybrids thereof; each of which offers unique advantages and disadvantages and has been associated with a myriad of claims supporting it as the preferred alternative to animal-derived meats. As part of XPRIZE Foundation’s Feed the Next Billion competition, we developed a framework for evaluating meat alternatives by measuring their structural, nutritional, and organoleptic properties while also assessing safety and their purported environmental and economic benefits compared to animal-derived meats. The framework is technologically agnostic and can be used to evaluate meat alternatives of all types. The output of the framework enables a data-driven comparison to animal-derived meat and/or other alternative meats, allowing a range of stakeholders (e.g., food startups, investors, government) to assess technological readiness, competitive advantage, and impact potential. This framework can assist this nascent industry as it moves towards standardizing approaches to evaluating the quality, safety and proposed benefits of meat alternatives.
... There are five peer-reviewed LCAs of cell-cultivated meat, all of which included culture media in their analyses (Tuomisto and Teixeira de Mattos, 2011;Smetana et al., 2015;Mattick et al., 2015, Tuomisto et al., 2022Sinke et al., 2023). However, none of these studies explicitly modeled production systems, culture conditions, or media formulations specific to bovine cells. ...
... It should be noted that the Swartz paper discusses three possible scenarios ranging from 8 L/kg to 43 L/kg. This can be compared with GWP of cell-cultivated meat, reported to range from 1.9 to 25.5 kg CO 2 eq per kg (Tuomisto and Teixeira de Mattos, 2011;Mattick et al., 2015;Smetana et al., 2015;Tuomisto et al., 2022;Sinke et al., 2023). Culture media has been reported as the major largest contributor to the overall environmental impact of cell-cultivated meat production. ...
... Cultured meat (CM), known by many names including "cell-based" or "cultivated" meat, is an emerging technology that uses tissue engineering and biomanufacturing techniques to produce animal meat through cell culture rather than animal husbandry. Proponents of the technology herald its potential to provide an option for producing animal agriculture products with reduced environmental, ethical, and health impacts (7,8). However, major technological challenges remain in bringing CM products to market and achieving their proposed benefits (9). ...
... For some proteins used in high concentrations, such as albumin, transferrin, and insulin, replacement with lower-cost alternatives, such as plant (146,211) or microbial (8,212) hydrolysates may be beneficial. For example, a protein similar to bovine insulin was found in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and could be isolated for use as an insulin replacement (213,214). ...
Cultured meat has the potential to provide a complementary meat industry with reduced environmental, ethical, and health impacts. However, major technological challenges remain which require time- and resource-intensive research and development efforts. Machine learning has the potential to accelerate cultured meat technology by streamlining experiments, predicting optimal results, and reducing experimentation time and resources. However, the use of machine learning in cultured meat is in its infancy. This review covers the work available to date on the use of machine learning in cultured meat and explores future possibilities. We address four major areas of cultured meat research and development: establishing cell lines, cell culture media design, microscopy and image analysis, and bioprocessing and food processing optimization. This review aims to provide the foundation necessary for both cultured meat and machine learning scientists to identify research opportunities at the intersection between cultured meat and machine learning.
... Since then, the growing global population has heightened the demand for sustainable sources of nutrition. However, sourcing nutrition from livestock poses major challenges, including excessive deforestation and increased livestock waste due to factory farming [6]. 'Artificial meat' or 'cultured meat' has emerged as a potential solution. ...
Cultured meat produced using satellite cells has emerged to address issues such as overpopulation, the ethical conundrums associated with the breeding environment, and the methane gas emissions associated with factory farming. To date, however, the challenges of maintaining satellite cells in vitro and reducing the costs of the culture media are still substantial. Gelatin, collagen, and fibronectin are commonly used extracellular matrices (ECMs) that facilitate signal integration with the cells and promote cell adhesion. In this study, we compared the proliferation, cell cycle, immunocytochemistry, and expression levels of Pax7, Pax3, Myf5, MyoD1, and MyoG genes in bovine satellite cells (BSCs) cultured on gelatin-, collagen- and fibronectin-coated dishes as part of short- and long-term cultures. We observed that BSCs cultured on gelatin-coated dishes showed higher levels of Pax7 expression than BSCs cultured on collagen- and fibronectin-coated dishes in both short- and long-term cultures, indicating that BSCs cultured on gelatin effectively maintained the satellite cell population in both the short- and long-term cultures. Our study highlights that gelatin is an effective ECM for the maintenance of BSCs and the production of cultured meat.
... Its production requires fewer nutrients and energy due to the absence of various bodily organs and also demands less land and water resources (Cho, 2020). Tuomisto and Teixeira de Mattos (2011) reported that producing 1 ton of cultured meat requires 367-521 m³ of water, 190-230 m² of land, and 26-33 GJ of energy, and results in 1,900-2,240 kg CO₂-eq of GHG emissions. Recent studies corroborate these findings, showing values of 95 L/lb of water, 189-232 m²/ton of land, 25.2-31.8 ...
... La carne coltivata viene sviluppata da colture di cellule animali. Questa 'carne' pulita ha diversi potenziali benefici: 'deconsumo' di prodotti animali (Dawkins et al. 2009), una ridotta impronta di carbonio della produzione di carne (Tuomisto, Teixeira de Mattos 2011), qualità nutrizionale (Hocquette et al. 2015) e sicurezza alimentare; tuttavia, il concetto di carne coltivata è ancora relativamente nuovo e sconosciuto a molte parti interessate. ...
Agrifood is a significant component of the Italian economy: alone it is worth about 4% of GDP; innovation and development of many complementary supply chains (foodtech, food equipment, mechanics) are driven by its products and processes. Together with food, an articulated economy grows that includes catering, hospitality and services. The fortunes of national food are linked to its association with tradition. Its future, however, depends on its ability to project these values into a tumultuously changing world. The environmental emergency, changes in demand, the restructuring of distribution channels, new geographies of consumption and production, the threats and opportunities posed by new technologies: around these ‘breaking’ points, agrifood companies will have to review their processes and strategies, their way of relating to markets and production and territorial ecosystems. The book analyses the challenges facing food companies and maps out possible trajectories of development and innovation.
... Our work shows its potential to supply the cultivated meat industry with an inexpensive on-demand serum-free supplement in a potent form. Previous environmental impact assessments using microbial lysates assumed a need for microbial protein on the scale of milligrams per milliliter of media 27 . Our media, only requiring 40 µg/mL protein, would reduce such needs by a factor of one hundred. ...
Cultivated meat, the process of generating meat in vitro without sacrificing animals, is a promising alternative to the traditional practice of livestock agriculture. However, the success of this field depends on finding sustainable and economical replacements for animal-derived and expensive fetal bovine serum (FBS) that is typically used in cell culture processes. Here, we outline an effective screening process to vet the suitability of microbial lysates to support the growth of immortalized bovine satellite cells (iBSCs) and mackerel (Mack1) cells. We show that easily producible, low-cost whole-cell lysates from Vibrio natriegens can be used to create serum-free media for the long-term growth of iBSCs. The optimized medium, named "VN40" (basal B8 media containing Vibrio natriegens lysate proteins at 40 ug/mL), outperforms previously established serum-free media while maintaining cell phenotype and myogenicity. Overall, this study shows a novel approach to producing serum-free media for cultivated meat production using microbially-derived lysates.
... The production of cultivated meat via cell culture is a developing technology with the potential to sustainably address increasing worldwide demand for meat. In contrast to traditional animal sources, cultivated meat is projected to emit fewer greenhouse gases and utilize fewer resources, including energy, land, and water (Tuomisto and Mattos, 2011;Carus et al., 2019). Furthermore, animal-free meat avoids the ethical concerns surrounding animal rearing, and can address more recent health concerns over the transmission of animal diseases and zoonotic epidemics (such as (O'Neill et al., 2021). ...
... Cultured meat: The production of artificial meat based on totipotent stem cells is a fast-growing market characterized by an increasing number of start-ups [24]. Various authors have calculated a reduction potential of these meat derivates compared to traditional meat production of 7-45 % lower energy consumption, 78-96 % lower GHG emissions, 99 % less land consumption and 82-96 % less water consumption [52][53][54]. Similar improvements in sustainability performance are possible in the areas of microbial food production and urban farming [25,26], Since the process of cultured meat production follows a comparatively simple pattern of cell line derivation (primary or secondary), cell growth (by injection into a nutrient medium) and formation (by scaffolding or bioprinting), some pioneers of this technology have gone so far as to predict that meat production in the future will be as simple as brewing beer [55], a clear sign of decentralization compared to today's dominant factory farming. ...
... This innovative approach also offers opportunities to mitigate other environmental impacts, such as curbing deforestation and habitat destruction, due to its requirement of significantly less land than traditional livestock farming. According to a life-cycle assessment by Tuomisto and Teixeira De Mattos (2011), producing a thousand kilograms of cultured meat requires approximately 99% less land and 82%-96% less water compared to conventionally produced European livestock. By utilizing smaller land footprints, cellular agriculture can help preserve vital ecosystems and biodiversity. ...
Cellular agriculture, a transformative field at the intersection of biotechnology and food production, is poised to revolutionize the global food system. This review delves into the multifaceted landscape of cellular agriculture, examining key aspects such as technological advancements driving innovation, emerging market trends and lucrative opportunities, regulatory frameworks shaping industry development, and the environmental impact of transitioning to cellular agriculture. Moreover, it explores consumer acceptance and perception, crucial for mainstream adoption, alongside economic viability considerations and the evolving supply chain and infrastructure requirements. Ethical considerations, particularly concerning animal welfare, are scrutinized, highlighting the importance of addressing these concerns for industry sustainability. Furthermore, the review also evaluates the roles of international collaboration and partnerships in fostering growth and overcoming challenges.
... Cultured meat has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by releasing large areas for redevelopment or other uses, like carbon capture, rather than requiring more land for the agricultural crops needed for livestock farming. Depending on the type of meat, growing cultured meat in an algae culture medium will reduce energy consumption by 7%-45%, land use by 99%, water consumption by 82%-96% and greenhouse gas emissions by 78%-96% when compared to conventional farming (Tuomisto & Teixeira de Mattos, 2011). ...
As global protein demand surges, it is urgent to explore novel protein sources and develop advanced extraction technologies that can surpass the technological and scientific limitations of conventional methods. This systematic review summarises the emerging protein sources and sustainable protein extraction techniques, focusing on their role in enhancing food system sustainability. This article consolidates current research on novel extraction techniques, such as ultrasound‐assisted extraction, pulsed electric field‐based extraction, enzyme‐assisted extraction, subcritical water extraction and extraction using eutectic solvents, particularly from agro‐industrial by‐products. These methods assist in optimising protein recovery while aligning with circular economy principles by minimising waste and resource use. By evaluating the sustainability and practicality of these extraction methods, the article aims to guide future innovations and policy decisions, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resilient global food system.
... One method to produce meat with lower environmental resources is the expansion of animal cells, termed cultured or cultivated meat production. Cultivated meat production is estimated to use 80% less water and 35-67% less land than traditional agriculture [9][10][11] . However, the economic viability of this technology has been called into question. ...
Cellular agriculture aims to meet the growing demand for animal products. However, current production technologies result in low yields, leading to economic projections that prohibit cultivated meat scalability. Here we use tangential flow filtration for continuous manufacturing of cultivated meat to produce biomass of up to 130 × 10⁶ cells per ml, corresponding to yields of 43% w/v and multiple harvests for over 20 days. Continuous manufacturing was carried out in an animal-component-free culture medium for US6.2 lb⁻¹ by using perfusion technology. Whereas other variables would also affect actual market prices, continuous manufacturing can offer cost reductions for scaling up cultivated meat production.
... Setting clearly defined regulatory parameters, for example, would help evaluate new protein technologies and whether or not they align with a public good [9]. Reflexive protocols should be attentive to contextual specificity; not all alternatives are created equal nor are they all necessarily sustainable or more ethical [136,[164][165][166]. Elevating actors that are truly attentive to sustainability across value chains is paramount as such social innovations challenge key routines, institutions and beliefs and are key for broader systemic change [15, [167][168][169]. ...
The protein shift, or transition, entails a reduction in the production and consumption of animal-source foods, and an increase in plant-based foods and alternative proteins, at a global level. The shift is primarily motivated by the need to minimise the impact of the food system on social-ecological systems. We argue that rather than focusing singularly on transitioning a ‘protein gap’ in diets, redressing the ‘justice gap’ is a prerequisite for transformative change in food systems. In this context the justice gap is understood as the gap delineating those who have access to just food systems and those who do not. To substantiate our argument a justice lens is used to analyse the political–economic dimensions of such a transformation and to propose that the future of protein must engage with three core elements to be transformative—disruption, innovation and redistribution. Disruption entails challenging both the food trends that encourage the ‘meatification’ of diets, and the influence of ‘Big Meat’ in perpetuating these trends. Innovation emphasises that true novelty is found by designing justice into practices and processes, rather than by firing alternative protein silver bullets within existing food system paradigms. Redistribution stresses that food system redesign is predicated upon establishing fair shares for remaining protein budgets, using approaches anchored in contextual specificity and positionality. Through the application of a justice framework, we expose existing food system injustices related to production and consumption of protein, invite discussion on how such injustices can be addressed and reflect on implications for food system transformations. By reshaping the crux of the protein debate around the more salient concern of the justice gap, food system transformation can take shape.
... Tuomisto and Teixeira de Mattos (2011) produced a highly influential anticipatory life-cycle assessment that supported positive environmental claims. The study modelled cellular agriculture and observed that it was considerably more efficient than conventional European livestock agriculture, and had 7-45 per cent lower energy use, 78-96 per cent lower GHG emissions, 99 per cent lower land use, and 82-96 per cent lower water use (Tuomisto & Teixeira de Mattos, 2011). ...
This project aims to deliver an overview of international and domestic drivers, as well as issues that are of particular relevance to the New Zealand primary sector and land use. This overview is based on a literature search of the most important issues, followed by a survey of key stakeholders as to their opinion of the most important issues affecting New Zealand land use and land use practice from overseas and domestically. In addition, a review of the level of interest and concern of international consumers on various issues is produced relevant to the primary sector. This is the fourth report in this series and provides an updated understanding of the international and national drivers and issues of land use change/practice, and their importance to the primary sector. These drivers will help prioritise where investments in primary sector research based on their relationship to economic growth, social, cultural and environmental interactions. Updates of this research will allow us to understand how drivers and issues change.
... Since the first public revealed of a cultivated piece of meat by Marc Post in 2013, the arena of cultured meat has expanded considerably. Several small-scale industrial start-up companies, attracting increasing investments, are now focused on delivering the first genuine cultured meat product to consumers, based on bovine, porcine, avian, and Pesci cells [16]. Stem cells have been isolated from diverse sources from different animal species, like adipose tissue, skeletal and cardiac muscles, bone marrow, dental pulp, heart liver, and fetal adnexa (amniotic membrane, cord blood, and Wharton's jelly) [17]. ...
... An early comparison of cultured meat production with conventional meat production systems in Europe showed that cultured meat used 82-96% less water, 99% less land and had 78-96% lower greenhouse gas emissions, depending on the meat product compared. 150 However, producing muscle may be costly and inefficient in resource use (e.g., for production of growth medium and for running the bioreactor) and also the production of a complete muscle tissue and the mimicking of the marbling effect in meat is expected to be difficult. 151 The acceptance of cultured meat products and their ability to replace conventional meat will require addressing market-entry and consumer acceptance hurdles. ...
The current global food system is unsustainable. The depletion of natural resources and increased environmental emissions, climate change, biodiversity loss and increasing population contribute to food system unsustainability and food insecurity. Conventional intensive agriculture and industrial food production practices need to be examined, with a view to transitioning to more sustainable alternative agricultural production. Factors such as farm energy use and their effects on the biophysical environment and biodiversity, trade-offs between productivity and environment and agricultural policy contribute to agricultural production choices and sustainability. Alternative agricultural practices are discussed with a focus on farming systems which protect natural resources and biodiversity. These include alternative land and marine food production systems and the use of various cellular agriculture and culture-based methods for producing food. Selected emerging sustainable food systems are highlighted. Key actions for restoration of land and aquatic food production systems include rebuilding of soil and aquatic ecosystems, wider application of alternative sustainable agricultural and processing practices, and integration of innovative technology into traditional and emerging agricultural systems. These actions need to be supported by policy which encourages the co-creation of sustainable alternative agricultural systems by multiple stakeholders.
Reducing meat and dairy intake has been identified as a necessary strategy for mitigating the high environmental impacts food systems are currently having on climate change, biodiversity loss associated with land-use changes, and freshwater use. Having a choice of dedicated meat and milk replacements available to consumers can help in the transition toward more plant-based diets, but concerns about nutritional and health impacts and high costs can impede uptake. Here, we conduct a multicriteria assessment of 24 meat and milk alternatives that integrates nutritional, health, environmental, and cost analyses with a focus on high-income countries. Unprocessed plant-based foods such as peas, soybeans, and beans performed best in our assessment across all domains. In comparison, processed plant-based products such as veggie burgers, traditional meat replacements such as tempeh, and plant milks were associated with less climate benefits and greater costs than unprocessed foods but still offered substantial environmental, health, and nutritional benefits compared to animal products. Our findings suggest that a range of food products exist that when replacing meat and dairy in current diets would have multiple benefits, including reductions in nutritional imbalances, dietary risks and mortality, environmental resource use and pollution, and when choosing unprocessed foods over processed ones also diet costs. The findings provide support for public policies and business initiatives aimed at increasing their uptake.
The introduction of food analogues into our society has been driven by the evolving lifestyles, ethical perspectives, and health concerns of contemporary times. However, as a result of excessive resource usage and the ongoing climate change, we will increasingly encounter food analogues on a daily basis. The food industry is a major contributor to environmental impact, given its substantial size, escalating demand driven by growing populations, significant energy consumption, and substantial waste production. At this point, replacing traditional foods with environmentally friendly alternatives can serve as a viable answer. Nevertheless, when taking into account all stages of production, it is possible that food analogues may not consistently display the anticipated levels of environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness. The primary objective of this chapter is to comprehensively assess the environmental impacts of food analogues, taking into account both their benefits and their drawbacks.
Framing of the research: The article focuses on the growing cultured meat industry and the strategic communication used in crisis contexts with a high media impact.
Purpose of the paper: This article explores the strategic role that communication can play in preventing crises and minimising their negative effects in the cultured meat industry.
Methodology: Using an exploratory methodology, the article analyses the communication strategies adopted by four leading companies in the cultured meat industry over one year on the social media Facebook through a content analysis with NVivo 14 software.
Findings: The results of the study show that the strategies most used by the four companies analysed, namely, ‘reform’, ‘supportive PR’, and ‘revision’ strategies, were able to create good engagement with the public and stimulate optimism in public comments. These strategies emphasised the companies’ commitment to leading the challenges of this sector, educating the public, conveying transparent information, and creating synergies to broaden the audience.
Research limitations: The limitations of this research, which future studies can overcome, are the small sample size, the subjectivity typical of content analysis, and the possibility of exploring multiple social media platforms to understand differences among consumer generations.
Practical implications: The study provides many implications for managers and professionals in monitoring online debate and discussion to contain the negative narratives spread by detractors and develop communication strategies to highlight the positive contributions made by the company’s activities.
Originality of the paper: This study’s originality lies in its appreciation of strategic communication’s central and multifaceted role in the innovative cultivated meat industry. Its essential role in the pre-crisis phase to monitor the external environment and identify influential stakeholders, that is, the public, is emphasised.
Cultured meat technology is a form of cellular agriculture where meat is produced from animal cells grown in a lab, instead of raising and slaughtering animals. This technology relies heavily on fetal bovine serum (FBS) in cell media; hence, production is costly and contributes significantly to ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving the successful commercialization of cell-cultured food requires the critical resolution of manufacturing cost and safety concerns. Hence, our research efforts are focused on identifying commercially viable and ecologically sustainable alternatives to FBS. In this study, we evaluated the potential of twenty-six water-based algal and cyanobacterial extracts to stimulate cell growth for meat cultivation under 90% reduced serum conditions. The extracts were compared in viability, proliferation, and Trypan blue exclusion assays. In the first screening phase, the extracts were evaluated in a ZEM2S (zebrafish) cell culture in a 1% FBS regimen. Based on their ability to exhibit protein tolerance or promote cell proliferation, ten extracts were selected and further assayed in a QM7 cell culture. The QM7 cell line (myoblasts from Japanese quail) is highly relevant for meat cultivation because of its ability to differentiate into muscle fibers. Extracts derived from two microalgae species, Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) and Dunaliella tertiolecta, demonstrated the highest tolerance in cell culture, above 10 μg/mL (expressed as total protein concentration). Tolerance at a 100 μg/mL concentration was demonstrated exclusively using an extract of blue spirulina (commercially purified Spirulina), which supported cell growth through multiple passages.
Sustainable food production is becoming essential, and a shift from traditional practices to more responsible alternatives aiming to generate nutritious, safe, and accessible food while minimizing environmental impacts is crucial. This review article discusses the importance of sustainable food production technologies in meeting global food demand while addressing problems regarding climate change. Some of the key technologies include precision agriculture, hydroponics, aquaponics and vertical farming. Precision agriculture uses technology to enhance farming efficiency by gathering data on soil and water variations and optimizing practices like planting, fertilization, and irrigation. Hydroponics and aquaponics are other alternatives for growing plants using as much as 90% less water and producing more food compared to conventional methods, while vertical farming can increase crop yield per land area, particularly in urban settings, due to its potential to reduce the strain on conventional agricultural land suitable for urban regions. Additionally, genetic modification can help create desirable traits of some plants making them plausible to integrate in vertical farming systems, but this requires careful management. Furthermore, nanotechnology is emerging as another method poised to transform agriculture by providing sustainable and efficient solutions for nutrient regulation, plant growth, and disease resistance whereas Agriculture 5.0 combines traditional agriculture with modern technologies to improve sustainable food production. Finally, alternative protein sources, such as plant-based, insects, cultured meat, mycoprotein and microalgae have emerged as a sustainable solution to traditional meat production. Integrating the abovementioned technologies into agricultural practices is crucial for achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals.
Meta‐analyses are widely used in various academic fields, including applied economics. However, the high labor intensity involved in paper searching and small sample sizes remain two dominant limiting factors. We conducted a meta‐analysis of studies on consumer preferences for plant‐based and lab‐grown meat alternatives using machine‐learning techniques at both the data collection and the data analysis phases. We demonstrated that machine learning reduces the workload in the manual title‐abstract screen phase by 69% accounting for 24% of total workload in data collection. We also found that machine learning improves out‐of‐sample of sample prediction accuracy by 48–78 percentage points when compared to econometric model. Notably, we showed that integrating machine learning can also improve the predictive performance of econometric methods, thereby improving their out‐of‐sample predictions. Our empirical findings further revealed that demand for meat alternatives is higher among younger consumers, especially when the products displayed benefit information.
Background
Since 1982, recombinant insulin has been used as a substitute for pancreatic insulin from animals. However, increasing demand in medical and food industries warrants the development of more efficient production methods. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel and efficient method for insulin production using a yeast secretion system.
Methods
Here, insulin C-peptide was replaced with a hydrophilic fusion partner (HL18) containing an affinity tag for the hypersecretion and easy purification of proinsulin. The HL18 fusion partner was then removed by in vitro processing with the Kex2 endoprotease (Kex2p), and authentic insulin was recovered via affinity chromatography. To improve the insulin functions, molecular chaperones of the host strain were reinforced via the constitutive expression of HAC1.
Results
The developed method was successfully applied for the expression of cow, pig, and chicken insulins in yeast. Moreover, biological activity of recombinant insulins was confirmed by growth stimulation of cell line.
Conclusions
Therefore, replacement of the C-peptide of insulin with the HL18 fusion partner and use of Kex2p for in vitro processing of proinsulin guarantees the economic production of animal insulins in yeast.
Agrifood is a significant component of the Italian economy: alone it is worth about 4% of GDP; innovation and development of many complementary supply chains (foodtech, food equipment, mechanics) are driven by its products and processes. Together with food, an articulated economy grows that includes catering, hospitality and services. The fortunes of national food are linked to its association with tradition. Its future, however, depends on its ability to project these values into a tumultuously changing world. The environmental emergency, changes in demand, the restructuring of distribution channels, new geographies of consumption and production, the threats and opportunities posed by new technologies: around these ‘breaking’ points, agrifood companies will have to review their processes and strategies, their way of relating to markets and production and territorial ecosystems. The book analyses the challenges facing food companies and maps out possible trajectories of development and innovation.
As the global population grows, the demand for protein‐enriched foods like meats is rising rapidly. Traditional farming practices face challenges including animal welfare, waste management, and carbon emissions, harming the environment. Consequently, meat substitutes have emerged as a promising area of research and as an alternative to traditional livestock‐sourced meats. Cultivated meat, produced through cell culture techniques, is a key area in cellular agriculture and offers a safe and well‐controlled production process for such future foods. The manufacturing of cultivated meat involves several disciplines, including cell culture, media optimization, scaffold design, and advanced manufacturing, along with nutrition, taste and safety topics to meet consumer acceptance and regulatory approvals. Although several review articles have addressed various aspects of cultivated meat, they tend to focus on specific domains rather than a comprehensive analysis of this transformative technology. This review highlights innovative and applied research findings in the field of cultivated meat, with a focus on critical aspects such as nutrition, cells, materials, and scaffold manufacturing technologies. Furthermore, the socio‐political and economic impacts of cultivated meat are explored, and practical recommendations for low‐cost and large‐scale production. Finally, the review also addresses existing challenges and outlines future directions for the development of cultivated meat.
Introduction: Greenhouse gases contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect, with methane being one of the primary gases. Methane emissions largely stem from ruminant production. Reducing methane emissions from ruminants is beneficial for the environment and improves the feed efficiency of the animals. This article examines the process by which cattle produce methane in the rumen through enteric fermentation and how this methane is subsequently released into the atmosphere. Additionally, various methods to mitigate methane emissions from ruminants are summarized. Main text and discussion: Several methods to address methane emissions from cattle were discussed. First, feed additives: Adding certain compounds or biological extracts to cattle feed can significantly reduce methane emissions. Second, efficient feeding management: Intensive management strategies, such as feeding cattle at specific times, can minimize energy loss and improve feed efficiency. Third, genetic methods: Genomic selection can be used to select animals with lower methane emissions, and gene editing tools can be employed to modify the genes of cattle. Breeding varieties that produce less methane, such as miniature cows, were also considered. The advantages and disadvantages of each biological solution were summarized. Furthermore, political and economic strategies that could potentially replace conventional beef were explored. Conclusion: The greenhouse effect caused by greenhouse gases presents a major challenge that requires a multifaceted approach. Genetic engineering, including gene editing, shows promise but is still developing. Feed additives can reduce ruminant methane emissions, while legislative measures can improve economic structures. Cultured or alternative meats can serve as substitutes for ruminant meat. Although each method has limitations, combining them may yield the best results.
The rising demand for functional foods has sparked considerable interest in enhancing the nutritional profile of meat products while maintaining their sensory appeal. Meat-based functional foods offer a unique platform to deliver essential nutrients and bioactive compounds while addressing the growing demand for nutritious and convenient food options. The design phase involves the strategic selection and incorporation of functional ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, and plant-based extracts, into meat matrices. Formulation optimization techniques, including microencapsulation, emulsification, and enzymatic modification, are employed to enhance ingredient stability, bioavailability, and sensory attributes, while ensuring product safety and shelf-life stability. Development of meat-based functional products necessitates addressing various challenges, including ingredient interactions, stability during processing and storage, and regulatory compliance. Advanced processing technologies, such as high-pressure processing, sous-vide cooking, and extrusion, are utilized to enhance ingredient incorporation, improve product texture, and extend shelf life while preserving nutritional integrity. Furthermore, consumer preferences, dietary trends, and market demands play a crucial role in product development, driving innovation in product formats, flavors, and packaging. Customization of meat-based functional products to cater to specific consumer segments, such as athletes, seniors, and individuals with dietary restrictions, presents opportunities for market differentiation and growth. Collaboration across multidisciplinary fields, including food science, nutrition, culinary arts, and packaging technology, facilitates holistic product development and innovation. Integration of emerging technologies, such as 3D food printing, artificial intelligence, and block chain, holds promise for streamlining the development process, ensuring traceability, and enhancing consumer engagement. The design and development of meat-based functional products represent a dynamic area of research and innovation, driven by the intersection of nutrition, technology, and consumer preferences. Continued advancements in ingredient science, processing technologies, and market insights are essential for creating novel, nutritious, and appealing meat-based functional products that contribute to overall health and wellness.
The global challenge of food security is exacerbated by the limitations and environmental impacts of traditional livestock production. Cultured meat, produced through the growth of animal cells in laboratory settings, has emerged as an ethical and sustainable alternative to conventional meat production. Since the creation of the first cultured meat burger in 2013, various companies have developed a range of products, including cultured chicken nuggets and beef burgers. This paper evaluates the potential of cultured meat in addressing food security issues and examines its environmental impacts, including reductions in land and water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil and water pollution. It also compares the efficiency and sustainability of cultured meat with other protein sources, such as spirulina, single-cell proteins, and plant-based proteins. Despite its potential advantages, challenges such as energy consumption, regulatory frameworks, and public acceptance remain significant. Addressing these challenges and optimizing the life cycle of cultured meat production could strengthen its role in achieving global sustainability goals and improving food security.
Cultured meat has the potential to provide a complementary meat industry with reduced environmental, ethical, and health impacts. However, major technological challenges remain which require time-and resource-intensive research and development efforts. Machine learning has the potential to accelerate cultured meat technology by streamlining experiments, predicting optimal results, and reducing experimentation time and resources. However, the use of machine learning in cultured meat is in its infancy. This review covers the work available to date on the use of machine learning in cultured meat and explores future possibilities. We address four major areas of cultured meat research and development: establishing cell lines, cell culture media design, microscopy and image analysis, and bioprocessing and food processing optimization. In addition, we have included a survey of datasets relevant to CM research. This review aims to provide the foundation necessary for both cultured meat and machine learning scientists to identify research opportunities at the intersection between cultured meat and machine learning.
Cultivated meat, an advancement in cellular agriculture, holds promise in addressing environmental, ethical, and health challenges associated with traditional meat production. Utilizing tissue engineering principles, cultivated meat production employs biomaterials and technologies to create cell-based structures by introducing cells into a biocompatible scaffold, mimicking tissue organization. Among the cell sources used for producing muscle-like tissue for cultivated meats, primary adult stem cells like muscle satellite cells exhibit robust capabilities for proliferation and differentiation into myocytes, presenting a promising avenue for cultivated meat production. Evolutionarily optimized for growth in a 3D microenvironment, these cells benefit from the biochemical and biophysical cues provided by the extracellular matrix (ECM), regulating cell organization, interactions, and behavior. While plant protein-based scaffolds have been explored for their utilization for cultivated meat, they lack the biological cues for animal cells unless functionalized. Conversely, a decellularized bovine placental tissue ECM, processed from discarded birth tissue, achieves the biological functionalities of animal tissue ECM without harming animals. In this study, collagen and total ECM were prepared from decellularized bovine placental tissues. The collagen content was determined to be approximately 70% and 40% in isolated collagen and ECM, respectively. The resulting porous scaffolds, crosslinked through a dehydrothermal (DHT) crosslinking method without chemical crosslinking agents, supported the growth of bovine myoblasts. ECM scaffolds exhibited superior compatibility and stability compared to collagen scaffolds. In an attempt to make cultivate meat constructs, bovine myoblasts were cultured in steak-shaped ECM scaffolds for about 50 days. The resulting construct not only resembled muscle tissues but also displayed high cellularity with indications of myogenic differentiation. Furthermore, the meat constructs were cookable and able to sustain the grilling/frying. Our study is the first to utilize a unique bovine placentome-derived ECM scaffold to create a muscle tissue-like meat construct, demonstrating a promising and sustainable option for cultivated meat production.
Cellular agriculture, known as cultured or lab-grown meat production, involves the cultivation of animal cells in vitro to generate meat products without the need for traditional animal rearing and slaughtering. There are numerous environmental issues stemming from traditional animal agriculture. These include land degradation, water scarcity, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss, which collectively contribute to environmental degradation and climate change. Against this backdrop, cellular agriculture offers a promising solution by leveraging biotechnological advancements to produce animal-derived products without the need for intensive livestock farming. This chapter evaluates the environmental impact of cellular agriculture across multiple dimensions. Further, this chapter also evaluates the water conservation, followed by biodiversity conservation. The final topic is on the reduced energy consumption due to the implementation of cellular agriculture.
The food crisis has been a crucial concern to meet the rising food demand worldwide. Cellular agriculture could be a prominent solution for sustainable food production. One of the main aims for cellular agriculture is to increase the capacity of the food to feed the increasing world population, whilst maintaining the quality of the environment and food. Therefore, this chapter introduces cellular agriculture as one of the latest food bioengineering technologies. Then, the principles and factors of cultivating cultured meat and plant tissues are discussed. Furthermore, applications of the cultivated food are explored. Following this, the ethical aspects and the challenges that will direct the future perspectives were discussed. Being at an early stage of venture in the food industry, the benefits and significant improvements of cellular agriculture will make it the most effective alternative in the food industry.
In vitro harvesting is a technique involving growing animal cells in controlled laboratories. This technology provides sustainable, ethical, and scalable options to meet the world's protein needs. This chapter addresses the environmental advantages and diminished impact of traditional farming methods. This chapter explains the cell culture techniques, different cell sources, nutritional media formulations, and bioreactor technologies in meat production. The ethical implications of the topic are discussed, with a specific focus on the well-being of animals and concerns related to the slaughter process. Successfully integrating in vitro harvests into mainstream markets depends on overcoming regulatory barriers and gaining customer acceptability. The chapter finishes by providing a concise overview of the significant impact that cellular agriculture can have on redefining sustainability, ethics, and nutritional diversity in the global food system. This transformation is made possible through the collaboration of many fields of study and the application of advanced technology.
Proteins serve as an important nutritional as well as structural component of foods. Not only do they provide an array of amino acids necessary for maintaining human health but also act as thickening, stabilizing, emulsifying, foaming, gelling, and binding agents. The ability of a protein to possess and demonstrate such unique functional properties depends largely on its inherent structure, configuration, and how it interacts with other food constituents like polysaccharides, lipids, and polyphenolic compounds. Proteins from animal sources have superior functionality, higher digestibility, and lower antinutrient components than plant proteins. However, consumer preferences are evolving worldwide for ethically and sustainably sourced, clean, cruelty-free, vegan, or vegetarian plant-based food products. Unlike proteins from animal sources, plant proteins are more versatile and religiously and culturally acceptable among vegetarian and vegan consumers and associated with lower food-processing waste, water, and soil requirement. Thus, the processing and utilization of plant proteins have gained worldwide attention, and as such numerous scientific studies are focusing on enhancing the utilization of plant proteins in food and pharmaceutical products through various processing and modification techniques to improve their techno-functional properties, bioactivity, bioavailability, and digestibility. Novel Plant Protein Processing: Developing the Foods of the Future presents a roadmap for plant protein science and technology which will focus on plant protein ingredient development, plant protein modification, and the creation of plant protein-based novel foods. KEY FEATURES • Includes complete information about novel plant protein processing to be used in future foods • Presents a roadmap to upscale the meat analog technological processes • Discusses marketing limitations of plant-based proteins and future opportunities This book highlights the important scientific, technological advancements that are being deployed in the future foods using plant proteins, concerns, opportunities, and challenges and as an alternative to maintaining a healthy and sustainable modern food supply. It covers the most recent research related to the plant protein-based future foods which include their extraction, isolation, modification, characterization, development, and final applications. It also covers the formulation and challenges: emphasis on the modification for a specific use, legal aspects, business perspective, and future challenges. This book is useful for researchers, readers, scientists, and industrial people to find information easily.
La viande de synthèse, soit la production de tissus comestibles animaux in vitro, répond à des préoccupations majeures : changements climatiques, éthique animale et santé humaine. Cet article explore sa spécificité épistémologique et son impact sur notre conception du vivant humain et non humain. La viande cellulaire, issue de l’agriculture cellulaire, interroge la matérialité vivante et son appropriation technoscientifique. Nous analysons son statut ontologique à travers les processus de recomposition technique du vivant, caractérisés par la biofabrication de « viande », révélant la production matérielle de nouvelles formes de matière biologique comestible. Une perspective critique du néomatérialisme illustre les limites de cette matérialité et ses implications sociales, notamment sur la relation à l’animal et au monde rural. En examinant les discours prospectifs et les glissements sémantiques entourant l’agriculture cellulaire, nous questionnons les promesses et les imaginaires associés à la viande cellulaire.
The variability (1990-2002) of potential evapotranspiration estimates (ETo) and related meteorological var- iables from a set of stations from the California Irrigation Management System (CIMIS) is studied. Data from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and from the Department of Energy from 1950 to 2001 were used to validate the results. The objective is to determine the characteristics of climatological ETo and to identify factors controlling its variability (including associated atmospheric circulations). Daily ETo anomalies are strong- ly correlated with net radiation (Rn) anomalies, relative humidity (RH), and cloud cover, and less with average daily temperature (Tavg). The highest intraseasonal variability of ETo daily anomalies occurs during the spring, mainly caused by anomalies below the high ETo seasonal values during cloudy days. A characteristic circulation pattern is associated with anomalies of ETo and its driving meteorological inputs, Rn, RH, and Tavg, at daily to seasonal time scales. This circulation pattern is dominated by 700-hPa geopotential height ( Z700) anomalies over a region off the west coast of North America, approximately between 328 and 448 latitude, referred to as the California Pressure Anomaly (CPA). High cloudiness and lower than normal ETo are associated with the low- height (pressure) phase of the CPA pattern. Higher than normal ETo anomalies are associated with clear skies maintained through anomalously high Z700 anomalies offshore of the North American coast. Spring CPA, cloud- iness, maximum temperature (Tmax), pan evaporation (Epan), and ETo conditions have not trended significantly or consistently during the second half of the twentieth century in California. Because it is not known how cloud cover and humidity will respond to climate change, the response of ETo in California to increased greenhouse- gas concentrations is essentially unknown; however, to retain the levels of ETo in the current climate, a decline of Rn by about 6% would be required to compensate for a warming of 138C.
People use lots of water for drinking, cooking and washing, but even more for producing things such as food, paper, cotton clothes, etc. The water footprint is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or producer. The water footprint of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business.
Background, aim and scopeFreshwater is a basic resource for humans; however, its link to human health is seldom related to lack of physical access
to sufficient freshwater, but rather to poor distribution and access to safe water supplies. On the other hand, freshwater
availability for aquatic ecosystems is often reduced due to competition with human uses, potentially leading to impacts on
ecosystem quality. This paper summarises how this specific resource use can be dealt with in life cycle analysis (LCA).
Main featuresThe main quantifiable impact pathways linking freshwater use to the available supply are identified, leading to definition
of the flows requiring quantification in the life cycle inventory (LCI).
ResultsThe LCI needs to distinguish between and quantify evaporative and non-evaporative uses of ‘blue’ and ‘green’ water, along
with land use changes leading to changes in the availability of freshwater. Suitable indicators are suggested for the two
main impact pathways [namely freshwater ecosystem impact (FEI) and freshwater depletion (FD)], and operational characterisation
factors are provided for a range of countries and situations. For FEI, indicators relating current freshwater use to the available
freshwater resources (with and without specific consideration of water ecosystem requirements) are suggested. For FD, the
parameters required for evaluation of the commonly used abiotic depletion potentials are explored.
DiscussionAn important value judgement when dealing with water use impacts is the omission or consideration of non-evaporative uses
of water as impacting ecosystems. We suggest considering only evaporative uses as a default procedure, although more precautionary
approaches (e.g. an ‘Egalitarian’ approach) may also include non-evaporative uses. Variation in seasonal river flows is not
captured in the approach suggested for FEI, even though abstractions during droughts may have dramatic consequences for ecosystems;
this has been considered beyond the scope of LCA.
ConclusionsThe approach suggested here improves the representation of impacts associated with freshwater use in LCA. The information
required by the approach is generally available to LCA practitioners
Recommendations and perspectivesThe widespread use of the approach suggested here will require some development (and consensus) by LCI database developers.
Linking the suggested midpoint indicators for FEI to a damage approach will require further analysis of the relationship between
FEI indicators and ecosystem health.
Meat produced in vitro has been proposed as a humane, safe and environmentally beneficial alternative to slaughtered animal flesh as a source of nutritional muscle tissue. The basic methodology of an in vitro meat production system (IMPS) involves culturing muscle tissue in a liquid medium on a large scale. Each component of the system offers an array of options which are described taking into account recent advances in relevant research. A major advantage of an IMPS is that the conditions are controlled and manipulatable. Limitations discussed include meeting nutritional requirements and large scale operation. The direction of further research and prospects regarding the future of in vitro meat production will be speculated.Industrial relevanceThe development of an alternative meat production system is driven by the growing demand for meat and the shrinking resources available to produce it by current methods. Implementation of an in vitro meat production system (IMPS) to complement existing meat production practices creates the opportunity for meat products of different characteristics to be put onto the market. In vitro produced meat products resembling the processed and comminuted meat products of today will be sooner to develop than those resembling traditional cuts of meat. While widening the scope of the meat industry in practices and products, the IMPS will reduce the need for agricultural resources to produce meat.
This paper examines how opportunity costs of land use can be taken into account
when life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to compare environmental impacts of
contrasting farming systems. Energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) balances of organic,
conventional and integrated farm models are assessed. It is assumed that the farm size
and food product output are equivalent in all farm models, and the remaining land
that is not needed for food crops is used for Miscanthus energy crop production. The
impacts of integrating biogas production into the farming systems are also explored.
The results illustrate the significance of taking into account the opportunity costs of
land use and suggest that integrated farming systems have potential to reduce negative
environmental impacts compared to organic and conventional systems.
Nutrition-related diseases, food borne illnesses, resource use and pollution and use of farm animals are some serious consequences associated with conventional meat production system and consumers have expressed growing concern over them. Biofabrication, production of complex living and non-living biological products, is a potential solution to reduce these ill effects of current meat production system. The industrial potential of biofabrication technology is far beyond the traditional medically oriented tissue engineering and organ printing and, in the long term, biofabrication can contribute to the development of novel biotechnologies that can dramatically transform traditional animal-based agriculture by inventing animal-free food, leather and fur products. In this study we review the possibility of producing in vitro meat using tissue-engineering techniques that may offer health and environmental advantages by reducing environmental pollution and land use associated with current meat production systems. Besides, reducing the animal suffering significantly, it will also ensure sustainable production of designer, chemically safe and disease free meat as the conditions in an in vitro meat production system are controlled and manipulatable. The techniques required to produce in vitro meat are not beyond imagination and the basic methodology of an in vitro meat production system (IMPS) involves culturing muscle tissue in a liquid medium on a large scale but the production of highly-structured, unprocessed meat faces considerably greater technical challenges and a great deal of research is still needed to establish a sustainable in vitro meat culturing system on an industrial scale. In the long term, tissue-engineered meat is the inescapable future of humanity. However, in the short term the extremely high prohibitive cost of the biofabrication of tissue-engineered meat is the main potential obstacle, although large-scale production and market penetration are usually associated with a dramatic price reduction.
The potential use of shade covers to reduce evaporation from agricultural reservoirs motivated this study on the effect of black polyethylene shade on the evaporation rate from a small water body (Class-A pan) and of its driving variables. Evaporation was measured hourly in two pans during the summer in Cartagena (Spain), along with the measurements of air temperature and humidity, water temperature, solar radiation and wind speed. The first pan was uncovered whereas the second pan was covered with black polyethylene shade as either a single or double-layer. The main factors influencing reduced evaporation (mass transfer coefficient and surface-to-air vapour pressure deficit) were analyzed, focusing on the changes in the uncovered pan. In the shaded pan there was a decrease in daily evaporation of 75 and 83% for single and double-layer shade respectively. Condensation on the shade was considerable and was 14 and 21% of the daily evaporation losses for the single and double-layer shade respectively. It was concluded that (i) black polyethylene shade appears to be an efficient way to reduce evaporative loss from agricultural reservoirs, and (ii) an economic analysis of their implementation under the current scarce water supply, for agriculture, in southern Spain justified their use.
The scale of operation of freely suspended animal cell culture has been increasing and in order to meet the demand for recombinant therapeutic products, this increase is likely to continue. The most common reactor types used are stirred tanks. Air lift fermenters are also used, albeit less commonly. No specific guidelines have been published for large scale (>/=10 000 L) animal cell culture and reactor designs are often based on those used for microbial systems. However, due to the large difference in energy inputs used for microbial and animal cell systems such designs may be far from optimal. In this review the importance of achieving a balance between mixing, mass transfer and shear effects is emphasised. The implications that meeting this balance has on design of vessels and operation, particularly in terms of strategies to ensure adequate mixing to achieve homogeneity in pH and dissolved gas concentrations are discussed.
Nostoc is a genus of filamentous cyanobacteria that can form macroscopic or microscopic colonies and is common in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Much of the success of Nostoc in terrestrial habitats is related to its ability to remain desiccated for months or years and fully recover metabolic activity within hours to days after re-hydration with liquid water. Nostoc can also withstand repeated cycles of freezing and thawing and, thus, is an important component of extreme terrestrial habitats in the Arctic and Antarctic. The ability to fix atmospheric N2can provide an advantage in nitrogen-poor environments. Nostoc also has the ability to screen damaging ultraviolet light in terrestrial and shallow benthic habitats. The genus potentially could be important in paddy rice culture because it fixes nitrogen that may later be released and used by plants; it also may play a role in soil formation and may increase nitrogen input to natural aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The abilities to survive in terrestrial habitats and fix N2are important in symbiotic interactions with fungi (lichens), liverworts, hornworts, mosses, ferns, cycads, and the angiosperm Gunnera. Nostoc is somewhat resistant to predation; this probably is related to production of large amounts of sheath material, synthesis of microcystin-like toxins by some strains, and formation of colonies that are too large for many algivores to consume. Some organisms can subsist on Nostoc, although it may not be a preferred food source. Lytic cyanophages also infect Nostoc, but little is known about population control of Nostoc in its natural environment, Late Precambrian fossils resembling Nostoc have been described, and Nostoc possibly has been an important component of many terrestrial and aquatic communities since that time.
Spirulina (Arthrospira) is a filamentous cyanobacterium that is grown commercially for food and feed and as a food coloring and additive. Currently there are many companies producing Spirulina in different countries to the tune of 3000 tons a year. This paper attempts to describe the problems of mass culture of Spirulina, deriving information from two commercial facilities: Siam Algae Company (Thailand) and Earthrise Farms (U.S.A.).
Feed provision accounts for the majority of material and energetic inputs and emissions associated with net-pen salmon farming. Understanding and reducing the environmental impacts of feed production is therefore central to improving the biophysical sustainability of salmon farming as a whole. We used life cycle assessment (with co-product allocation by gross energy content) to compare the cradle-to-mill gate life cycle energy use, biotic resource use, and global warming, acidifying, eutrophying and aquatic ecotoxiticy impacts associated with producing ingredients for four hypothetical feeds for conventional and organic salmon aquaculture in order to assess the benefits, if any, associated with a transition to organic feed use. Fish and poultry-derived ingredients generated substantially greater impacts than crop-derived ingredients. Despite the fact that organic crop ingredients had markedly lower life cycle impacts compared to equivalent conventional ingredients, substituting organic for conventional crop
ingredients therefore resulted in only minor reductions to the total impacts of feed production because the benefits of this substitution were effectively overwhelmed by the much larger impacts associated with animal-derived ingredients. Replacing fish meals/oils from dedicated reduction fisheries with fisheries by-product meals/oils markedly increased the environmental impacts of feed production, largely due to the higher energy intensity of fisheries for human consumption, and low meal/oil yield rates of
fisheries by-products. Environmental impacts were considerably lower when feeds contained reduced proportions of fish and poultry-derived ingredients. These results indicate that current standards for organic salmon aquaculture, which stipulate the use of organic crop ingredients and fisheries by-product meals and oils, fail to reduce the environmental impacts of feed production for the suite of impact categories considered in this study. This information should be of interest to feed producers and aquaculturists concerned with improving the biophysical sustainability of their products, and bodies responsible for aquaculture certification, ecolabeling, and consumer awareness programs.
This study was performed to examine seasonal changes in evapotranspiration (ET), soil water content, and crop coefficients (Kc) for sugarcane, cassava, and maize fields in Northeast Thailand. ET rates during the rainy season varied between 2 and 6 mm per day but remained around 1 mm per day in the dry season. The normal dry season ET was much greater than the water loss from the top 0.5 m of soil, suggesting that capillary rise from deeper soil layers provides significant amounts of water to the upper soil layer. The Kc for sugarcane and cassava reached growing season peaks of approximately 1.10 and 1.20, respectively, in June. The maximum Kc for the maize field was approximately 1.20. Although the ET estimated by the Hargreaves equation exceeded the FAO reference ET value for this region, the values had a high correlation when the Hargreaves ET was calculated using solar radiation measurements.
The whole life of methanol fuel, produced by microalgae biomass which is a kind of renewable energy, is evaluated by using a method of life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA has been used to identify and quantify the environment emissions and energy efficiency of the system throughout the whole life cycle, including microalgae cultivation, methanol conversion, transport, and end-use. Energy efficiency, defined as the ratio of the energy of methanol produced to the total required energy, is 1.24, the results indicate that it is plausible as an energy producing process. The environmental impact loading of microalgae-based fuel methanol is 0.187mPET2000 in contrast to 0.828mPET2000 for gasoline. The effect of photochemical ozone formation is the highest of all the calculated categorization impacts of the two fuels. Utilization of microalgae an raw material of producing methanol fuel is beneficial to both production of renewable fuels and improvement of the ecological environment. This Fuel methanol is friendly to the environment, which should take an important role in automobile industry development and gasoline fuel substitute.
The viability of the industrial production of three strains of Spirulina platensis was tested in Malaga, Southern Spain. In a pre-industrial trial using raceway ponds from laboratory-scale to 450 m2, all three strains displayed satisfactory growth. In a 10-month industrial trial in 450 m2 ponds, production was equivalent to 30–32 metric tons of dry powder per hectare per annum. In conclusion, intensive industrial production of Spirulina is viable in certain Mediterranean climates, a region previously thought to be outside its geographic limits.
Polymers based on olefins have wide commercial applicability. However, they are made from non-renewable resources and are characterised by difficulty in disposal where recycle and re-use is not feasible. Poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) provides one example of a polymer made from renewable resources. Before motivating its widespread use, the advantages of a renewable polymer must be weighed against the environmental aspects of its production. Previous studies relating the environmental impacts of petroleum-based and bio-plastics have centred on the impact categories of global warming and fossil fuel depletion. Cradle-to-grave studies report equivalent or reduced global warming impacts, in comparison to equivalent polyolefin processes. This stems from a perceived CO(2) neutral status of the renewable resource. Indeed, no previous work has reported the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) giving the environmental impacts in all major categories. This study investigates a cradle-to-gate LCA of PHB production taking into account net CO(2) generation and all major impact categories. It compares the findings with similar studies of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). It is found that, in all of the life cycle categories, PHB is superior to PP. Energy requirements are slightly lower than previously observed and significantly lower than those for polyolefin production. PE impacts are lower than PHB values in acidification and eutrophication.
Researchers are sure that they can put lab-grown meat on the menu ? if
they can just get cultured muscle cells to bulk up.
Livestock production has a major impact on the environment. Choosing a more environmentally-friendly livestock product in a diet can mitigate environmental impact. The objective of this research was to compare assessments of the environmental impact of livestock products. Twenty-five peer-reviewed studies were found that assessed the impact of production of pork, chicken, beef, milk, and eggs using life cycle analysis (LCA). Only 16 of these studies were reviewed, based on five criteria: study from an OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) country, non-organic production, type of LCA methodology, allocation method used, and definition of system boundary. LCA results of these 16 studies were expressed in three ways: per kg product, per kg protein, and per kg of average daily intake of each product for an OECD country. The review yielded a consistent ranging of results for use of land and energy, and for climate change. No clear pattern was found, however, for eutrophication and acidification. Production of 1 kg of beef used most land and energy, and had highest global warming potential (GWP), followed by production of 1 kg of pork, chicken, eggs, and milk. Differences in environmental impact among pork, chicken, and beef can be explained mainly by 3 factors: differences in feed efficiency, differences in enteric CH4 emission between monogastric animals and ruminants, and differences in reproduction rates. The impact of production of 1 kg of meat (pork, chicken, beef) was high compared with production of 1 kg of milk and eggs because of the relatively high water content of milk and eggs. Production of 1 kg of beef protein also had the highest impact, followed by pork protein, whereas chicken protein had the lowest impact. This result also explained why consumption of beef was responsible for the largest part of the land use and GWP in an average OECD diet. This review did not show consistent differences in environmental impact per kg protein in milk, pork, chicken and eggs. Only one study compared environmental impact of meat versus milk and eggs. Conclusions regarding impact of pork or chicken versus impact of milk or eggs require additional comparative studies and further harmonization of LCA methodology. Interpretation of current LCA results for livestock products, moreover, is hindered because results do not include environmental consequences of competition for land between humans and animals, and consequences of land-use changes. We recommend, therefore, to include these consequences in future LCAs of livestock products
ALTHOUGH MEAT has enjoyed sustained popularity as a foodstuff, consumers have expressed growing concern over some consequences of meat consumption and production. These include nutrition-related diseases
Algae have attracted much interest for production of foods, bioactive compounds and also for their usefulness in cleaning the environment. In order to grow and tap the potentials of algae, efficient photobioreactors are required. Although a good number of photobioreactors have been proposed, only a few of them can be practically used for mass production of algae. One of the major factors that limits their practical application in algal mass cultures is mass transfer. Thus, a thorough understanding of mass transfer rates in photobioreactors is necessary for efficient operation of mass algal cultures. In this review article, various photobioreactors that are very promising for mass production of algae are discussed.
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Datar, I.; Betti, M. Possibilities for an in vitro meat production system. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies 2010, 11, 13. (7) ISO14044; Environmental management À Life cycle assessment À Requirements and guidelines. International Organization for Standardi-zation: Geneva, 2006.
Sources of variability of evapotranspiration in California Effect of black polyethylene shade covers on the evaporation rate of agricultural reservoirs Mass Culture of Spirulina Outdoors -The Earthrise Farms Experience
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