Environmental life cycle assessment of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) production for human consumption in Austria – a comparison of mealworm and broiler as protein source

Abstract Purpose Global food production needs to increase provide enough for over 9 billion people living by 2050. Traditional animal is among the leading causes climate change and occupation of land. Edible insects might be a sustainable protein supply humans, but environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on them are scarce. This study performs an LCA small-scale system yellow mealworms ( Tenebrio molitor ) in Central Europe that supplied with organic feedstuff. Methods A combined ReCiPe midpoint (H) CED method used estimate potential impacts from cradle-to-gate. Impact categories include global warming (GWP), non-renewable energy use (NREU), agricultural land (ALOP), terrestrial acidification (TAP) freshwater eutrophication (FEP). The robustness results tested via sensitivity analyses Monte Carlo simulations. Results discussion Impacts related 1 kg edible mealworm amount 20.4 CO 2 -eq 213.66 MJ-eq 22.38 m 159.52 g SO 12.41 P-eq Upstream feed on-farm demand heating facilities identified as hot-spots: Depending impact category, contributes up 90% accounts 65% overall impacts. contrasted selected Austrian broiler system, which it compares favourably (18–72% lower per category), exception (6% higher impacts). Conclusions case shows traditional livestock systems. Compared LCAs large-scale T. rearing France Netherlands, however, cannot compete reasons scale, conversion efficiency type system. Nevertheless, investigated represent alternative should added Western diet.