Miljöpåverkan av hönsfoder ur ett livscykelperspektiv

Sammanfattning: The environmental impact of poultry mainly arises from their feed. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the environmental impact of three Swedish poultry feeds and identify how their environmental performance could be improved. This was done with the method of life cycle assessment where the environmental impact categories of, climate change, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, land use, and biodiversity were estimated. The impact on biodiversity was qualitatively assessed, due to the lack of standardized methods for quantifying this aspect. The results showed that the ingredients mainly contribute to the environmental impact, where wheat was found to be the ingredient with the largest environmental impact, which was explained by the large wheat content in the poultry feeds. Furthermore, rape and soy contribute to a large environmental impact in comparison to their small proportion of the feed. Moreover, in the qualitative assessment, it is concluded that intensified farming results in a negative impact on biodiversity. Additionally, the life cycle assessment’s ability to include biodiversity was discussed, due to the current methodology’s insufficiency to include the complexity of biodiversity. Perhaps, it is possible that the life cycle assessment method cannot include biodiversity and another complementing tool is necessary. But it is ascertained that studies must include biodiversity, otherwise, the effects both locally and globally on biodiversity will be negative. Lastly, the environmental impact of poultry feed can be reduced. It is mainly recommended to replace soy with an ingredient with a lower environmental impact. Furthermore, is it recommended to reduce the negative impact on biodiversity by using fewer pesticides, having smaller fields, and growing a larger variety of crops. This is recommended based on the conclusion that action toward more sustainable agriculture is required.