Life Cycle Assessment of White Meat Supply to Final Consumer: A Case Study From Türkiye

Abstract

This study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze the environmental impact of white meat production in Türkiye, focusing on a major poultry producer. As far as the authors are concerned, it is the first ever study on the LCA of white meat production in the context of Türkiye. The LCA reveals significant environmental improvements compared to historical practices, with reductions of 75% in resource use, 36% in greenhouse gas emissions, 72% in land use, and 58% in water use. However, the analysis also identifies room for further progress, as the GWP score (4.21 kgCO₂eq./kg chicken meat) remains slightly higher than the average reported in previous studies. To address this, the research proposes several strategies for the poultry industry, including sustainable feed production practices (reduced herbicide/pesticide use, renewable energy integration), optimized transport routes, and utilizing chicken waste for biofuel production. By implementing these strategies, the poultry sector can further minimize its environmental footprint. This research contributes to the understanding of the evolving environmental performance of the industry and offers practical approaches for achieving greater sustainability in white meat production.