Environmentally Sustainable Protein Production in Danish Organic Agriculture - A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment between Chinese Soybean Meal Import, Danish Fava Beans and Danish Grass Protein Concentrate: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment between Chinese Soybean Meal Import, Danish Fava Beans and Danish Grass Protein Concentrate
Translated title
Environmentally Sustainable Protein Production in Danish Organic Agriculture - A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment between Chinese Soybean Meal Import, Danish Fava Beans and Danish Grass Protein Concentrate: En Komparativ Livscyklus Analyse mellem Kinesisk Sojakage import, Danske Hestebønner og Dansk Græsprotein
Author
Kreutzfeldt, Karen-Emilie Trier
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-06-03
Pages
118
Abstract
Background: The organic sector aims to lead on sustainability by increasing self‑sufficiency, including phasing out imported soybean meal as protein feed in favor of national alternatives. This study compares the environmental impacts of importing soybean meal with Danish fava beans and grass protein concentrate (GPC). Method: A consequential life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted following ISO 14040/14044, using the Exiobase database. An LCA evaluates impacts across a product’s life cycle; the consequential approach estimates how changes in demand can affect the wider system. Results: Imported soybean meal had the lowest impact on land occupation and on climate impacts linked to fossil energy use. Fava beans were higher, and GPC had the highest impacts in these categories. For “respiratory inorganics” (an indicator of air pollution that affects human health), soybean meal had the highest impact, followed by GPC, with fava beans lowest. Conclusion: Overall, importing soybean meal had the lowest environmental impacts among the options assessed. This suggests that producing in Denmark is not automatically better for the environment. Instead, reducing meat demand so plant‑based proteins can gain market share is key. Danish production of protein crops for human consumption can support the sector’s sustainability ambitions.
Baggrund: Den økologiske sektor vil være frontløber i bæredygtighed ved at øge selvforsyningen, blandt andet ved at udfase import af sojaskrå som proteinkilde i foder til fordel for danske alternativer. Denne undersøgelse sammenligner den miljømæssige påvirkning fra importeret sojaskrå med danske hestebønner (fava beans) og græsproteinkoncentrat (GPC). Metode: Vurderingen er en konsekvent livscyklusvurdering (LCA) efter ISO 14040/14044-standarderne med brug af Exiobase-databasen. En LCA ser på miljøpåvirkninger fra et produkts hele livsforløb; den konsekvente tilgang vurderer, hvordan ændringer i efterspørgsel kan påvirke systemet. Resultater: Importeret sojaskrå havde den laveste påvirkning på arealbeslag (landanvendelse) og på klimapåvirkning knyttet til brug af fossile brændsler. Hestebønner lå højere, og GPC havde de højeste påvirkninger i disse kategorier. For kategorien “respiratory inorganics” (en indikator for luftforurening, der påvirker menneskers helbred) var påvirkningen højest for sojaskrå, derefter GPC, og lavest for hestebønner. Konklusion: Samlet set havde import af sojaskrå de laveste miljøpåvirkninger blandt de undersøgte muligheder. Det viser, at produktion i Danmark ikke automatisk er bedre for miljøet. I stedet peger resultaterne på, at det er vigtigt at reducere efterspørgslen efter kød, så plantebaserede proteiner kan vinde markedsandele. Dansk produktion af proteinafgrøder til menneskeføde kan understøtte sektorens bæredygtighedsambitioner.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]