Environmental impact of plant
protein production and use for
feed.
Christine Watson (SLU and SRUC)
European
livestock
production
depends on
European
livestock
production
depends
onimported
protein – and crop land outside Europe
imported
protein – and crop land outside Europe
EU soya import quantity and price
Price
(USD/t)
Net import
(million t)
50
600
EU arable land virtually traded (Million ha)
Arable land
Arable
land
exported
exported
Arable land
Arable
land
imported
500
40
400
30
300
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
20
Protein
Protein
200
10
100
0
1960
0
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Soya cake imports
Soya bean imports
Soya bean price
Soya cake price
FAOstat
FAOstat 2013
2013
Von Witzke
Witzke &
& Noleppe
Noleppe 2010
2010
Von
5
Consumption of compound feed (IFIF 2009)
150-170 million tonnes protein
in 2008 (IFIF 2009)
• 75% compounded feed is
soya (FAO 2004)
Poultry
Pigs
Beef & sheep
Dairy
Other (including fish)
• 77 million tonnes of
livestock feed per year
could go to humans
(Steinfeld et al. 2006)
Environmental effects – land use change
Photo: Paula Fridman/Carbis, Business Week May 22, 2008
EU agriculture: Separation
(disconnection) of crops and livestock
Resource protection – advantages for
farmers
Protein crops require no nitrogen fertiliser and the need
for fertiliser in the following crop is lower (knock-on
effects into energy use and nitrous oxide production)
Photo: RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH
Resource protection – advantages for farmers
Break crop effect:
Reduced crop diseases
Improved soil conditions
Improved soil fertility
15 – 25% yield increase
in following crop yield
Environmental effects –
biodiversity (public goods)
• Mass flowering
• Crop diversity
• Soil organisms
Cropping system design matters
Cultivar is important
Crop rotation matters
Nitrous oxide emissions from
grain legumes are generally
low in the year of production
Residue effects carry
through to the following year
in forage and grain legumes
SRUC unpublished data
Life-cycle environmental effects
% change in environmental impact
Study
Energy
GHG
Ozone Eutrophi- AcidiEco- Landdemand emission
cation fication toxicity use
Comparison of soya-based and domestic legume-based feed
Sweden, pork1
-16
-13
Sweden, pork2
-19
-10
Germany, pork3
-31
-40
24
-5
Spain, pork3
-6
France, chicken meat3
-6
-10
France, eggs3
-4
-10
17
32
-5
+
Comparison of soya-based and farm-produced feed
Germany, pork3
-36
-19
-16
1 Cederberg and Flysiö 2004; 2 Eriksson et al. 2005; 3 Baumgartner et al. 2008
-25
-11
-10
Figure 1 Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of the two feeding scenarios for
pig production, expressed as kg CO 2-eq per kg pig carcass, and subdivided
into three main source categories. (Sasu-Boakye et al. Animal, 2014)
Figure 2 Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of the two feeding
scenarios for dairy cow milk production, expressed as kg CO 2-eq per
kg energy corrected milk (ECM), and subdivided into three main
source categories. (Sasu-Boakye et al. Animal, 2014)
Livestock production efficiency
(Hoste and Bolhius 2010).
• 100g soya product produces
- 1 kg veal
- 600g poultry
• 330 g soya product produces
-1 kg eggs
• 11g soya product produces
-1 kg raw milk
In the life-cycle of livestock
products, feed production
accounts for:
•
•
•
•
•
•
50-75% of energy demand
47-88% of global warming potential
50-98% of eutrophication
28-98% of acidification
>90% of ecotoxicity
>96% of land use
Consumption
Primary
production
Transport
(Blonk et al. 1997, Eriksson et al. 2005,
Van der Werf et al. 2005, Ellingsen and Aanodsen 2006,
Nemecek and Baumgartner 2006, Katajajuuri 2007,
Baumgartner et al. 2008).
Distribution
Manufacture
Contributors
Moritz Reckling
Andrea Bues
Tom Kuhlman
Kristina Lindström
Donal Murphy-Bokern
Sara Preißel
Kairsty Topp
Peter Zander
Fred Stoddard