Environmental impact of Brazilian broiler production process: Evaluation using life cycle assessment

Abstract

The environmental management of the broiler production chain should include assessments that more accurately detail the processes that occur on the farm related to the broiler life cycle. The present study meant to evaluate the environmental impact of the production process of broiler using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The life cycle inventory included all inflows and outflows of the subsystems: feed-ration production and broiler grow-out, with system boundary from the housing of the chick from one-day to the live broiler produced in the farm gate, and the functional unit of the “1-kg live weight.” The impacts categories evaluated were: Global Warming Potential in hundred years (GWP), depletion of abiotic resources (mineral elements and fossil fuels), depletion of the ozone layer, eutrophication, acidification, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, human toxicity, photochemical oxidation, and land use. The results showed that total emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) (CH 4 , and N 2 O) from the management of manure in broiler farms totaled 0.154 kg CO 2 -eq per kg of live weight produced. The total GWP for the broiler production process was 2.70 kg CO 2 -eq per kg of live weight produced. The depletion of abiotic resources (mineral elements) and depletion of abiotic resources - fossil fuels presented higher values for the feed-ration production phase. The marine aquatic ecotoxicity category and the GWP are the most impacting categories. The broiler grow-out mainly influences these categories during the production process. Results showed that broiler rearing is the sub-system within meat production that gives the highest environmental impact. However, considering the characteristics of the studied system, the level of technology applied, and the local availability of grains used in the feed ration reduces the use of energy in the transport and processing of the feed. The present study indicates the best strategies to improve the environmental performance of broiler meat production. • The total GWP for the broiler production process was 2.70 kg CO 2 -eq/kg live weight. • N 2 O emission from litter is the main contributor to GWP in broiler production. • The lowest environmental impact in broiler production was from the feed processing. • The highest environmental impact was from the broiler rearing.