LCA Food 2012 in Saint Malo, France! - Manifestations et colloques ...

GROUP 5, SESSION B: FOOD PRODUCTS 8 th Int. Conference on LCA in the
Agri-Food Sector, 1-4 Oct 2012
850
129. LCAs for animal products pork, beef, milk and eggs in Finland
Kirsi Usva * , Jouni Nousiainen, Helena Hyvärinen, Yrjö Virtanen
MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Corresponding author. E-mail: kirsi.usva@mtt.fi
This paper presents results of LCA for pork, beef, milk and eggs produced in Finland. Environmental impact
categories assessed were climate change, eutrophication and acidification and, additionally, land and energy
use. Several LCAs had been implemented on Finnish food products earlier, but there was a need for comprehensive
environmental impact assessment of most important food products. Both plant and animal products
were assessed.
The functional unit of LCAs is kg of a product at the farm gate (without packaging). System boundaries include
animal production (heating, lightning, mechanical work) on the farm, as well as complete chains of the
animal feeds, fuels and power which supply that. The supply chains include all significant industrial processing,
product packaging, energy and transports. Data for the supply chains were obtained from the industry,
which produce the majority of the inputs used in the animal production in Finland. Energy was assumed
according to the Finnish average grid. Data on the use of inputs at crop and grass production were based on
the national agricultural database consisting of data on the cultivation instances of various crop species and
grass, i.e. it is primary data. Data on mechanical work were based on physical models.
Animal production models were used to assess partly the inventory data and partly the impacts of animal
production. Animal models consist of animal population age-classes, their specific feed consumption and
diet composition. This information in utilised in simple balance calculations (nutrient intake in feeds – nutrient
retention in growth and products) of nitrogen and phosphorus and gross energy intake that is necessary in
methane production estimation. Models were based on e.g. national statistics and calculation based on feeding
norms. Methane emissions were estimated according to models used in Finnish greenhouse gas inventory.
Nitrogen amount in excrement and urine was assessed by animal model (nitrogen balance) and assessment
of NH3 and N2O emissions in animal shelter and manure storage were based on this.
Emissions from manure storage were allocated to animal production. Emissions from manure spreading on
the field were allocated to the those plants the manure was used as fertiliser for. Allocations were needed
also to allocate inputs and emissions especially in beef and milk –case between milk and meat. In Finland
most of the beef production is connected to milk production. For pork and beef allocations were done between
different qualities of meat. Allocations were calculated accomplished economic values of different
products. In egg production all inputs and emissions were allocated to eggs.
Results of LCAs in terms of climate change, eutrophication and acidification are shown in Fig. 1-3. Environmental
impacts of beef are more than twice as much as impacts of pork. In case of climate change the
methane emissions from bovine are higher than from pigs. In terms of eutrophication, most of the impacts
derive from feed production in Finland. Pigs and chickens use soy which do not cause as much eutrophication
impact as Finnish feeds. NH3-emissions from manure are the main reason for acidification impact. An
important thing is, that feed conversion ratio of pigs and chickens are better than bovines’.
Food stuffs are one of the most important consumer goods in terms of environmental impacts of consumption.
Animal models are a strong base for emission assessment in animal shelters and manure storage. Machinery
work models represent a typical situation in Finland as well as feed production models based on
national agricultural data. As such the results of the LCAs represent the typical Finnish animal products.
Together with LCAs of plant products they are very valuable in comparing the environmental burdens of
different food stuffs in Finland. Results may be utilised in communication to consumers, political decisionmaking
and improvement of animal product supply chains and production systems.
References
Grönroos, J., Mattila, P., Regina, K., Nousiainen, J., Perälä, P., Saarinen, K. and Mikkola-Pusa, J. 2009. Development
of the ammonia emission inventory in Finland. pp. 15-19.
Saarinen, M., Virtanen, Y. and Hyvärinen, H. 2012. LCAs for a large repertoire of Finnish outdoor plant
products. Abstract for LCA Food 2012 Conference.
Statistics Finland 2011. Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Finland 1990-2009. pp. 248-253.