A new study coauthored by IIFH-affiliated faculty members Edward (Ned) Spang and Ilias Tagkopoulos, along with IIFH Research Program Manager Mariana Barboza Gardner, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, examines the environmental impacts of global broiler chicken production through a comprehensive review of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies.
Analyzing 57 studies representing 173 individual assessments, the researchers found no significant differences in global warming potential between conventional and organic/free-range production systems. However, organic and free-range systems were associated with higher acidification and eutrophication impacts in the studies analyzed, highlighting the complexity of sustainability tradeoffs across food production systems.
The study also identified significant opportunities to improve agricultural sustainability research, including greater standardization of LCA methodologies, broader geographic representation, and more comprehensive reporting of environmental impacts beyond greenhouse gas emissions. The authors further emphasize the importance of incorporating factors such as animal welfare, biodiversity, and soil health into future sustainability assessments.
Supported by the Rockefeller Foundation through the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI), this research contributes to a growing body of work aimed at improving the data, tools, and scientific understanding needed to advance more sustainable and resilient food systems.
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