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Background

Life cycle assessments (LCAs) inform and guide cellular agriculture producers on their impact on energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation, from the ‘cradle to the grave’. To date, only a few LCAs have been conducted to determine the environmental impact of cellular agriculture production processes.

Research focus areas

• Comparative LCAs - further LCAs comparing cellular agriculture and conventional animal agriculture will be necessary to provide tangible evidence of the sustainability benefits of cellular agriculture. This needs to cover everything from raw material extraction and processing, to the product's manufacture, distribution and use, through to the recycling or final disposal of the materials composing it. Furthermore, LCAs will vary depending on facility location, which can influence access to raw materials and energy sources.

• Continual monitoring - as the industry progresses, continual monitoring and assessment of impacts and identification of potential improvements will be required to maintain identified sustainability benefits.