AgNext Lifecycle Assessment expert, Dr. Greg Thoma, contributed to a publication that is one of the most comprehensive study of lifecycle assessment of beef production in the United States. The complexity of this study sheds light on the environmental impacts that are involved in beef production. This publication is directly relevant to the research objectives of AgNext and is important work that emphasizes the need for continued research in lifecycle assessment and sustainability in animal agriculture.   

In this blog, we will provide a summary and five-point breakdown of the publication, “A comprehensive environmental assessment of beef production and consumption in the United States” and provide insight into how the findings in this publication impact the work at AgNext. 

Definition of Life Cycle Assessment: 

 Lifecycle assessment is an accounting framework that is internationally recognized to provide a quantitative evaluation of the impacts of producing a good or providing a service. These potential impacts range from greenhouse gas emissions to water consumption to the potential effects of chemical or particulate emissions on human health. In beef production, this is looking at “cradle-to-grave” impacts. This study is unique because it completes a national life cycle assessment of beef production through consumption in the United States. 

Five-point summary breakdown of “A comprehensive environmental assessment of beef production and consumption in the United States”: 

• Beef is a major commodity in the United States contributing roughly 20 percent of agriculture sales . This is over 11,000 metric tons carcass weight of beef produced per year from over 48 million animals across the US processed each year. This industry also provides work for roughly 720,000 people in the United States.  
• This publication reports on a comprehensive cradle-to-grave lifecycle assessment of beef consumption in the United States, covering 18 environmental impact categories based on the ReCiPe framework such as land use, water ecotoxicity, mineral resource scarcity, and water consumption. 

• The study estimates that 50% of beef is consumed in homes, 32% in fast service restaurants and 18% in full-service restaurants.  
• The full lifecycle carbon footprint is 42.7 kg CO2/kg of consumed beef, or about 21.4 lb CO2e per 8 ounce serving.   
• Beef production is the dominant contributor (40% – 90%) to 11 categories. Interestingly, the eco- and human toxicity categories are dominated by post-production activities and linked to electricity consumption at retail and consumer stages. 
• The study also showed that 10% reduction in consumer food loss/waste resulted in an approximately 10% reduction in impact across the majority of impact categories. 

 This publication provides a benchmark for future LCA publications and has created a model for future studies to continuously monitor the environmental implications for beef production. 

The findings of this paper are directly relevant to the work done at AgNext and will help to inform current and future studies into sustainable solutions for animal agriculture.  

According to Dr. Greg Thoma, “LCA is a tool for quantifying sustainability, and the adage, ‘you manage what you measure’ is core to the AgNext philosophy of finding solutions for sustainable animal agriculture through a scientific approach combining experimentation with modeling.”