| Title |
Environmental Impact of the Production of Mealworms as a Protein Source for Humans – A Life Cycle Assessment
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
PLOS ONE, December 2012
|
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0051145 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Dennis G. A. B. Oonincx, Imke J. M. de Boer |
| Abstract |
The demand for animal protein is expected to rise by 70-80% between 2012 and 2050, while the current animal production sector already causes major environmental degradation. Edible insects are suggested as a more sustainable source of animal protein. However, few experimental data regarding environmental impact of insect production are available. Therefore, a lifecycle assessment for mealworm production was conducted, in which greenhouse gas production, energy use and land use were quantified and compared to conventional sources of animal protein. Production of one kg of edible protein from milk, chicken, pork or beef result in higher greenhouse gas emissions, require similar amounts of energy and require much more land. This study demonstrates that mealworms should be considered a more sustainable source of edible protein. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 63 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 12 | 19% |
| United Kingdom | 6 | 10% |
| Netherlands | 5 | 8% |
| Australia | 3 | 5% |
| Italy | 1 | 2% |
| Chile | 1 | 2% |
| Canada | 1 | 2% |
| Switzerland | 1 | 2% |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | 1 | 2% |
| Other | 5 | 8% |
| Unknown | 27 | 43% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 54 | 86% |
| Scientists | 4 | 6% |
| Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 3 | 5% |
| Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 2 | 3% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 1,305 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 5 | <1% |
| United Kingdom | 3 | <1% |
| France | 2 | <1% |
| Norway | 1 | <1% |
| Brazil | 1 | <1% |
| South Africa | 1 | <1% |
| Portugal | 1 | <1% |
| Denmark | 1 | <1% |
| Germany | 1 | <1% |
| Other | 2 | <1% |
| Unknown | 1287 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Bachelor | 242 | 19% |
| Student > Master | 232 | 18% |
| Researcher | 130 | 10% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 128 | 10% |
| Other | 43 | 3% |
| Other | 157 | 12% |
| Unknown | 373 | 29% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 400 | 31% |
| Environmental Science | 110 | 8% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 82 | 6% |
| Engineering | 58 | 4% |
| Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 37 | 3% |
| Other | 201 | 15% |
| Unknown | 417 | 32% |