The environmental impacts of commercial poultry production systems using life cycle assessment: a review

With the ever-increasing world population, there is a need for the agri-food industry to adopt sustainable practices with a reduced environmental footprint. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an established methodology to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of production activities (commodity or service) on human health, ecosystem quality, global warming, resources and water with the ultimate goal of eliminating or decreasing those undesired impacts. Over the past decade, the LCA method has been vastly applied to estimate the environmental loads in various industries, including agri-food, to evaluate all stages of activities, such as extraction, production, transportation, consumption, recycling and reuse. The present work aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts in enhancing the efficiency of agri-food production systems by reviewing the environmental impacts in the commercial poultry industry using the LCA methodology. Our focus is on assessing the environmental impact of meat and egg production across different commercial poultry species, specifically chicken, ostrich and turkey, as well as poultry egg production systems. The findings underscore the considerable role of inputs such as feed and energy, as well as farming processes, in the environmental footprint of commercial poultry systems. To improve sustainability, stakeholders must prioritise enhancing feed and energy efficiency while reducing farm emissions. Future trends and potential applications of LCA are also discussed to advance sustainable practices within poultry production systems. The outcome of the present study provides valuable insights for decision-makers and stakeholders seeking to reduce the environmental footprint of poultry production. By integrating LCA methodologies across all production stages, informed choices can be made to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of agri-food production systems.