Environmental assessment of new European protein sources for pig feeds

Authors:

Espagnol S., Delage C., Royer E., Dauguet S., Jensen S.K., Gilbert H., Garcia-Launay F.

Publication date:

12 February 2020

Full title:

Environmental assessment of new European protein sources for pig feeds

Publishing information:

LCAFood2020, 13-16 October 2020, Berlin, Germany

Abstract:

European pig production aims at reducing its environmental impacts with various mitigation strategies. Among them, the replacement of Brazilian soybean meal (BSM) associated to deforestation with European protein sources (EPS) combined with the genetic improvement of feed efficiency have been proposed in the H2020 Feed-A-Gene project. The goal was to estimate the environmental impacts of pig production resulting from incorporating EPS in feeds for fattening pigs, with current genetic line and improved one. This study examined four EPS: fine fraction of rapeseed meal (EPS1), partly defatted soybean meals obtained from a cooking-pressing process with dehulled (EPS2) or non-dehulled soybeans (EPS3), and protein paste extracted from a grass clover mixture (EPS4). Environmental impacts per kg of pig at the farm gate were estimated using life cycle assessment. Benefits were calculated by difference between innovative scenario (with EPS) and reference scenario (ref) using traditional protein sources (including BSM – without EPS). Benefits were assessed, in the current economic context formalized by four European countries (France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands) for four contrasting years, and in a virtual context with scenarios favorable to either BSM or EPS. Improved genetic was assessed thanks to the use of two lines respectively with low and high feed efficiency.

As results, EPS are currently not competitive as a replacement for BSM because less than 5% of BSM is currently used in fattening diets. This is due to the relative recent prices of the protein sources, which makes rapeseed and sunflower meals more competitive. In the virtual context, with an average incorporation of 13% for BSM in the fattening diet of the ref scenario, the use of EPS results in a reduction in climate change impacts (by 8-9% for the European soybean meal and by 3-4% for the protein paste and the fine fraction of rapeseed meal) but with a transfer of pollution to land use (increase of 13%). These results highlight the need for more macroscopic analyses to capture rebound effects. The added genetic merit (improved feed efficiency) improved the acidification, eutrophication and climate change impacts.

Table 1 – Environmental impacts per kilogram of pig at farm gate for reference and innovative scenarios with current genetic (mean and standard deviation over economic years and countries)

Scenarios		Impacts / kg pig
Scenarios		CED (MJ)	CC (kg CO₂ eq)	AC (molc H+ eq)	EU (kg PO₄^3- eq)	LO (m².an)
Current economic context	ref	18.9 (0.49)	2.26 (0.032)	0.0702 (0.00076)	0.019 (0.00036)	3.83 (0.16)
	EPS1	19.3 (0.45)	2.29 (0.014)	0.0736 (0.00070)	0.019 (0.00034)	3.91 (0.14)
	EPS2	19.4 (0.38)	2.18 (0.015)	0.0733 (0.00060)	0.019 (0.00040)	4.23 (0.17)
	EPS3	19.2 (0.43)	2.16 (0.014)	0.0727 (0.00056)	0.019 (0.00040)	4.19 (0.18)
	EPS4	19.8 (0.53)	2.30 (0.025)	0.0692 (0.00052)	0.019 (0.00036)	4.04 (0.15)
Virtual context	ref	20.3 (0.50)	2.38 (0.032)	0.0726 (0.00176)	0.019 (0.00038)	3.82 (0.15)
	EPS1	19.8 (0.27)	2.30 (0.010)	0.0744 (0.00054)	0.019 (0.00020)	3.86 (0.09)
	EPS2	19.7 (0.50)	2.19 (0.015)	0.0741 (0.00047)	0.019 (0.00033)	4.3 (0.14)
	EPS3	19.7 (0.63)	2.17 (0.014)	0.0735 (0.00045)	0.019 (0.00030)	4.29 (0.12)
	EPS4	20.1 (0.27)	2.31 (0.016)	0.0692 (0.00044)	0.019 (0.00034)	4.07 (0.14)