Cell-Based Meat and Firms’ Environmental Strategies: New Rationales as per Available Literature

Higher demand for meat production and limited inputs, as well as environmental and animal ethics issues, are bringing alternative protein sources to the market, such as cell-based meat (CBM), i.e., meat produced through cell culturing, without involving animal raising and killing. Although the potential social and environmental benefits of the technology have been recently addressed in the blossoming CBM literature, little has been discussed about the possible implications for the environmental strategies of firms that are entering the new cell-based production chain. Thus, drawing on the theoretical framework of competitive environmental strategies and a systematic review of the literature, we discuss prospects for cell-based meat regarding the possible adoption of environmental strategies by firms that are entering the CBM chain. The technology may be considered a potential means for mitigating most of the environmental impacts of large-scale meat production, e.g., extensive land use and greenhouse gas emissions. We discuss how such benefits and consumer attitudes towards cultivated meat could encourage the adoption of environmental strategies by firms, and the roles that value chain firms are likely to play in those strategies in the future.

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Rabbit meat sector value chain

World Rabbit Science ◽

10.4995/wrs.2017.6565 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 95 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

A. Baviera-Puig ◽

J. Buitrago-Vera ◽

C. Escriba-Perez ◽

L. Montero-Vicente

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Large Scale ◽

Economies Of Scale ◽

Distribution Channel ◽

Added Value ◽

Meat Production ◽

Chain Model ◽

Production Chain ◽

Self Service ◽

Rabbit Meat

<p>The aim of this research was to study the cuniculture industry in Spain, according to the Food Value Chain model, and analyse what its main operators are. Four components were identified in the rabbit meat production chain: input suppliers, producers, abattoirs and cutting plants and distribution. Distribution can follow 2 paths, the traditional channel and the modern or large-scale distribution channel. Rabbit feed, which represents the main input for producers, is a minority product, especially when compared to feeds formulated for other livestock species, as its manufacture calls for specialist companies. Rabbit production is linked to the rural environment and constitutes a significant economic option, not only for farms but also for the industry around it, such as feed producers and distributors, technicians, slaughterhouses or leather processors, among others. Rabbit farms are generally independent and not usually integrated, as found in other types of livestock. Slaughterhouses currently represent one of the main axes of the rabbit meat production chain and are either focused on traditional or large-scale distribution. The main strategic changes are apparent in slaughterhouses focused on large-scale distribution by seeking cooperative ways of working, using slaughterhouse groupings and vertical integration processes. This way, they manage to adjust margins by working with economies of scale and, ultimately, lower prices. Slaughterhouses whose strategies are based on traditional distribution may achieve higher margins than those focusing their efforts on large-scale distribution, but their growth is limited. In traditional retail premises, the majority of sales consist of whole carcasses in bulk, which are prepared and quartered as per consumer tastes. Large-scale retail distribution outlets sell both cut produce from the meat counters located in their own premises and pre-packaged products, more suited to self-service formulae. Brand presence is minimal, as is that of processed or semiprocessed products. This current situation requires support from the entire sector in order to provide rabbit<br />meat with new features better adapted to consumers’ needs, above and beyond price and with greater added value.</p>

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Forecasting beef production and quality using large-scale integrated data from Brazil

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa089 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Vera Cardoso Ferreira Aiken ◽

Arthur Francisco Araújo Fernandes ◽

Tiago Luciano Passafaro ◽

Juliano Sabella Acedo ◽

Fábio Guerra Dias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Linear Regression ◽

Beef Cattle ◽

Large Scale ◽

National Level ◽

Parameter Tuning ◽

Absolute Error ◽

Meat Production ◽

Beef Production ◽

Production Chain ◽

Testing Set

Abstract With agriculture rapidly becoming a data-driven field, it is imperative to extract useful information from large data collections to optimize the production systems. We compared the efficacy of regression (linear regression or generalized linear regression [GLR] for continuous or categorical outcomes, respectively), random forests (RF) and multilayer neural networks (NN) to predict beef carcass weight (CW), age when finished (AS), fat deposition (FD), and carcass quality (CQ). The data analyzed contained information on over 4 million beef cattle from 5,204 farms, corresponding to 4.3% of Brazil’s national production between 2014 and 2016. Explanatory variables were integrated from different data sources and encompassed animal traits, participation in a technical advising program, nutritional products sold to farms, economic variables related to beef production, month when finished, soil fertility, and climate in the location in which animals were raised. The training set was composed of information collected in 2014 and 2015, while the testing set had information recorded in 2016. After parameter tuning for each algorithm, models were used to predict the testing set. The best model to predict CW and AS was RF (CW: predicted root mean square error = 0.65, R2 = 0.61, and mean absolute error = 0.49; AS: accuracy = 28.7%, Cohen’s kappa coefficient [Kappa] = 0.08). While the best approach for FD and CQ was GLR (accuracy = 45.7%, Kappa = 0.05, and accuracy = 58.7%, Kappa = 0.09, respectively). Across all models, there was a tendency for better performance with RF and regression and worse with NN. Animal category, nutritional plan, cattle sales price, participation in a technical advising program, and climate and soil in which animals were raised were deemed important for prediction of meat production and quality with regression and RF. The development of strategies for prediction of livestock production using real-world large-scale data will be core to projecting future trends and optimizing the allocation of resources at all levels of the production chain, rendering animal production more sustainable. Despite beef cattle production being a complex system, this analysis shows that by integrating different sources of data it is possible to forecast meat production and quality at the national level with moderate-high levels of accuracy.

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Sustainability Analysis of Fish Feed Derived from Aquatic Plant and Insect

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137371 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7371

Author(s):

Shashank Goyal ◽

Denise Ott ◽

Jens Liebscher ◽

Dennis Höfling ◽

Ariane Müller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Large Scale ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Lemna Minor ◽

Pilot Scale ◽

Meat Production ◽

Fish Feed ◽

Hermetia Illucens ◽

Urban Sites ◽

Research Show

Fish and meat production and processing will grow drastically in the coming decades. In aquacultural systems, insects are gaining interest as feed to provide a sustainable alternative to the fishmeal paradox, whose production leads to high consumption of resources and negative environmental impacts. Within the scope of this study, the production of fish feed from Hermetia illucens larvae and Lemna minor in an inline recirculating aquaponics model for urban sites was developed and optimized, which efficiently combines waste and environmental service concepts in one production system. At the same time, the value chain produces high-quality, market-accessible raw materials for the fish feed industry. All investigations were accompanied by a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure and compare ecological effects to finally result in sustainable alternatives. The results achieved in this research show that fish feed based on Hermetia illucens and Lemna minor can have the potential to be ecologically competitive or more sustainable than standard feed. It should be noted that the comparison here represents the results of the project on a pilot scale. Various optimization potentials were shown, which are essential for the large-scale implementation of the breeding of both species as well as their processing up to the fish feed pellets.

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The Bat Meat Chain and Perceptions of the risk of contracting Ebola in the Mount Cameroon Region

10.21203/rs.3.rs-15627/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Efuet Simon Akem ◽

Ngambouk Vitalis Pemunta

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Cultural Beliefs ◽

Public Health Intervention ◽

Meat Production ◽

Production Chain ◽

Men And Women ◽

Mount Cameroon ◽

Gendered Patterns

Abstract Background Local people’s interaction with bats render them vulnerable to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). This paper examines perceptions of risk involved in the hunting, handling, processing and consumption of bat meat in the Mount Cameroon region of Southwest Cameroon. It focuses on the myriad cultural beliefs, gendered patterns of activity and institutional arrangements in which the bat meat production chain is embedded. Methods We conducted 30 ethnographic interviews with a sample of purposively selected men and women involved in the bat meat trade. The interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim and inductive analysis was performed on the data. Findings The findings suggests that more urban men than villagers and hunters consume bat meat. Different practices and behaviours expose the mostly uneducated, young, single men and women to the risk of Ebola infection depending on their differential level of intervention in the human-bat interaction and value chain linking hunters, sellers and customers. The killing of bats with the mouth during hunting expose hunters (young men) while the preparation of bat carcasses for consumption also put women, (mostly young and unmarried) at risk. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the complexity and nuances of gender, poverty and Ebola outcomes predispose some marginal groups to the risk of infection with zoonotic diseases. There is the need to improve public health intervention and health education among the rural masses in the Mount Cameroon region.

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Edible insects are the future?

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665116000069 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 75 (3) ◽

pp. 294-305 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

Arnold van Huis

Keyword(s):

Food Safety ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Western World ◽

Meat Production ◽

Consumer Attitude ◽

Edible Insects ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Protein Sources ◽

Alternative Protein

The global increase in demand for meat and the limited land area available prompt the search for alternative protein sources. Also the sustainability of meat production has been questioned. Edible insects as an alternative protein source for human food and animal feed are interesting in terms of low greenhouse gas emissions, high feed conversion efficiency, low land use, and their ability to transform low value organic side streams into high value protein products. More than 2000 insect species are eaten mainly in tropical regions. The role of edible insects in the livelihoods and nutrition of people in tropical countries is discussed, but this food source is threatened. In the Western world, there is an increasing interest in edible insects, and examples are given. Insects as feed, in particular as aquafeed, have a large potential. Edible insects have about the same protein content as conventional meat and more PUFA. They may also have some beneficial health effects. Edible insects need to be processed and turned into palatable dishes. Food safety may be affected by toxicity of insects, contamination with pathogens, spoilage during conservation and allergies. Consumer attitude is a major issue in the Western world and a number of strategies are proposed to encourage insect consumption. We discuss research pathways to make insects a viable sector in food and agriculture: an appropriate disciplinary focus, quantifying its importance, comparing its nutritional value to conventional protein sources, environmental benefits, safeguarding food safety, optimising farming, consumer acceptance and gastronomy.

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Developing sustainable and profitable solutions for peatland restoration

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/914/1/012032 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 914 (1) ◽

pp. 012032

Author(s):

P J van der Meer ◽

H Tata ◽

D Rachmanadi ◽

Y F Arifin ◽

A Suwarno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Large Scale ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Species Selection ◽

Positive Contribution ◽

Swamp Forest ◽

Peat Swamp ◽

Haze Pollution

Abstract Over the past decades, a large area of peat swamp forests in Indonesia has been cleared of the original forest cover and developed as agricultural lands. Several important issues are associated with the clearing and drainage of peat forest areas, including loss of biodiversity, increased emission of Green House Gases (GHGs), and smoke/haze pollution. Moreover, the development of large-scale oil palm plantations did not always improve local livelihoods. We describe how the restoration of degraded peat areas through paludiculture and inclusive value chains development could result in sustainable livelihoods and climate-resilient peat areas in Indonesia. We illustrate this by describing business cases of seven valuable native peat swamp forest species which could provide income for local forest communities. An analysis of the sago value chain shows that sago cultivation has a positive contribution in providing economic benefits to all actors, including local farmers, although improvements could be made for better value sharing. Paludiculture has important environmental benefits in comparison to existing drainage-based peat cultivation systems. The combination of environmental and economic benefits is an important incentive to develop the paludiculture system further to improve current peat management systems and assist further peat restoration in Indonesia. The development and implementation of paludiculture systems, particularly species selection, should have more community participation to ensure the sustainable restoration of degraded peat areas.

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Economic, Trade and Employment Implications from EVs Deployment and Policies to Support Domestic Battery Manufacturing in the EU

Foreign Trade Review ◽

10.1177/0015732520920466 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 298-319 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kostas Fragkiadakis ◽

Ioannis Charalampidis ◽

Panagiotis Fragkos ◽

Leonidas Paroussos

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Large Scale ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Essential Element ◽

Lithium Ion ◽

Clean Energy ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Production Chain ◽

Climate Policies ◽

The Eu

The decarbonization of the energy system requires the adoption of a mix of zero or low carbon intensive technological options, which depends on their cost-effectiveness, their potential to reduce emissions and on social acceptance issues. Transport electrification combined with renewable energy sources (RES) deployment in power generation is a key decarbonization option assessed in many recent studies that focus on national or international climate policies. The penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) together with a gradual retirement of conventional oil-fuelled vehicles implies that a new ‘trade ecosystem’ will be created characterized by different features (move from OPEX to CAPEX) and supply chains. A key component of the EVs are the Lithium-Ion batteries, the manufacturing of which is employment intensive and constitutes an essential element of the EVs that can act as a driver for establishing comparative advantages and increasing EV market shares. Our study focuses on the size of the EV market that can be established within ambitious global and EU decarbonization scenarios and investigates the economic, trade and employment implications considering the production chain of EVs (i.e., the regional production of batteries and vehicles). We use the large-scale global GEM-E3-FIT model to capture the trade dynamics of decarbonization scenarios. We find that under ambitious climate policies, the global size of the clean energy technologies will be US$44 trillion cumulatively over the 2020–2050 period. 44per cent of the market relates to EVs, which will mostly be produced outside EU. For the EU to capture a significant segment of the EV value chain, it needs to increase clean energy R&D and associated supportive policies so as to boost the domestic capacity to produce competitively batteries. JEL: F11, F13, F16, F18, F62, F68

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The Agri-Foodstuffs Market and the Value Chain: Proposals for an Integrated System of Multifunction Logistic Centres in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria

Advanced Engineering Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/aef.11.402 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

pp. 402-409

Author(s):

Maurizio Malaspina

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Large Scale ◽

Integrated System ◽

Retail Trade ◽

Production Chain ◽

Metropolitan City

The study investigates the agri-foodstuffs market, highlighting the developments of the last decades that have seen the large-scale retail trade to exert an action more and more invasive in the distribution value along the line characterizing the production chain.

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