Summary

The project would identify and measure the environmental impact of selected New Animal Product industry supply chains. Project has economic, social and environmental impact. The NAP industries lend themselves to a cluster study approach with a focus on, for example, a meat group, milk and/or hides and fibres. For this study the aim is to complete LCAs for two NAP meat industries (selected from ducks, rabbit and emu) and one traditional meat industry (e.g. beef or pork) in one year of the project and a further two NAP milk oriented industries (sheep milk and goat milk) and one traditional milk industry (cows milk) in the other year. Invitations have been sent to enterprises in these industries, along with those with a focus on hide and fibres (assuming the milk response is complete its not intended to include hide and fibre oriented industries at this stage). Positive responses have been received.

The proposed system boundary is the whole supply chain, from farm input supplies to the end consumer. The functional unit of the study would be a kg or liter of finished product sold to the end consumer. The method for allocating co-products will not be finalised until each species is fully examined, but our initial approach will be to use co-products as a negative cost to the system.

Program

New and Emerging Animal Industries

Research Organisation

Wondu Business & Technology Services

Objective Summary

The project objective is to produce a LCA of 4 selected NAPs along with 2 benchmarks from traditional industries. It would develop improved utilisation of meat, skin and milk products through more sustainable business models and by increased knowledge of science, technology, and processing of new products to increase consumer acceptance and demand for New Animal Products. It would also aim to strengthen sustainable development within and across NAP industries by supporting creativity, innovation, research capacity and capability, and international linkages in the area of sustainable resource use.

The project, therefore, assesses environmental sustainability as a strategy for industry development of new animal species.