This study applies Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate the environmental sustainability of using Hermetia illucens oil (HIO) instead of hydrogenated palm fat (HPF) in dairy cow diets. One kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) was chosen as the functional unit, and a gate-to-gate approach defined the system boundaries. Primary data were collected during an experimental trial conducted using Valdostana Red Pied cows. Enteric methane emissions were both measured in vitro and estimated using the IPCC model. Results showed that HIO reduces climate change impact from 1.11 to 0.99 kg CO2 eq/kg FPCM (−11%), mainly due to lower enteric methane emissions, as measured in vitro. This reduction can be attributed to the high concentrations of lauric and myristic acids in HIO, which are known to possess methane-suppressing effects. Contribution analysis revealed that enteric methane accounted for 63% of the climate change impact, followed by concentrate feed, which was the main hotspot in most other categories. Despite slightly higher resource use (fossils: +7.1%; minerals and metals: +5.5%), the overall environmental burden was 3.98% lower with HIO. The analysis using the IPCC model for estimating emissions did not report differences between the two treatments but confirmed a reduction in the overall environmental impact when using HIO (–2.26%).
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
Aldama, D.D., Grassauer, F., Zhu, Y., Ardestani-Jaafari, A. and Pelletier, N., 2023. Allocation methods in life cycle assessments (LCAs) of agri-food co-products and food waste valorization systems: Systematic review and recommendations. Journal of Cleaner Production 421: 138488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138488
ANABORAVA, 2025. National Association of Valdostana Cattle Breeders. Available online at https://anaborava.it/rzz_duplice.php (accessed 28 June 2025).
Andreasi Bassi, S., Biganzoli, F., Ferrara, N., Amadei, A., Valente, A., Sala, S. and Ardente, F., 2023. Updated characterisation and normalisation factors for the Environmental Footprint 3.1 method. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, JRC130796. https://doi.org/10.2760/798894
Battelli, M., Colombini, S., Parma, P., Galassi, G., Crovetto, G.M., Spanghero, M., Pravettoni, D., Zanzani, S.A., Manfredi, M.T. and Rapetti, L., 2023. In vitro effects of different levels of quebracho and chestnut tannins on rumen methane production, fermentation parameters, and microbiota. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10: 1178288. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1178288
Dreyer, M., Hörtenhuber, S., Zollitsch, W., Jäger, H., Schaden, L.M., Gronauer, A. and Kral, I., 2021. Environmental life cycle assessment of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) production for human consumption in Austria – a comparison of mealworm and broiler as protein source. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 26: 2232-2247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-021-01980-4
Ecoinvent, 3.8., Weidema, B.P., Bauer, C., Hischier, R., Mutel, C., Nemecek, T., Reinhard, J., Vadenbo, C.O. and Wernet, G., 2013. Overview and methodology. Data quality guideline for the ecoinvent database version 3. Ecoinvent Report 1(v3). The ecoinvent Centre, St. Gallen.
Hristov, A.N., Lee, C., Cassidy, T., Long, M., Heyler, K., Corl, B. and Forster, R., 2011. Effects of lauric and myristic acids on ruminal fermentation, production, and milk fatty acid composition in lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 94: 382-395. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-3508
INRA, 2018. Institut national de la recherche agronomique. Alimentation des ruminants. Quae, Versailles.
IPCC, 2019. Chapter 10: Emissions from livestock and manure management. In: 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Paris.
ISO, 2006a. ISO 14040: Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva.
ISO, 2006b. ISO 14044: Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva.
Lehtilä, A., Taghizadeh-Toosi, A., Roitto, M., Kokkonen, T., Mäkelä, P.S., Sairanen, A. and Tuomisto, H.L., 2024. Cultivation of forage maize in boreal conditions – assessment of trade-offs between increased productivity and environmental impact. Animal Feed Science and Technology 309: 115878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2024.115878
Leip, A., Ledgard, S., Uwizeye, A., Palhares, J.C., Aller, M.F., Amon, B., Binder, M., Cordovil, C.M.d.S., De Camillis, C., Dong, H., Fusi, A., Helin, J., Hörtenhuber, S., Hristov, A.N., Koelsch, R., Liu, C., Masso, C., Nkongolo, N.V., Patra, A.K., Redding, M.R. and Wang, Y., 2019. The value of manure-Manure as co-product in life cycle assessment. Journal of Environmental Management 241: 293-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.03.059
Lu, S., Chen, S., Paengkoum, S., Taethaisong, N., Meethip, W., Surakhunthod, J., Wang, Q., Thongpea, S. and Paengkoum, P., 2024. Effects of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L., BSF) larvae addition on in vitro fermentation parameters of goat diets. Insects 15: 343. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15050343
Nemecek, T. and Kägi, T., 2007. Life cycle inventories of Swiss and European Agricultural production systems. Final report ecoinvent V2.0 No. 15a. Agroscope Reckenholz-Taenikon Research Station ART, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Zurich.
Quevedo-Cascante, M., Dorca-Preda, T., Mogensen, L., Zollitsch, W., Waqas, M.A., Ranundeniya, R.M.N.S., Stasinopoulos, P., Shiwakoti, N. and Lockrey, S., 2025. A critical review of methodological aspects influencing life cycle assessment results of food waste reduction strategies. Journal of Environmental Management 393: 127152.
Rastello, L., Gasco, L., Coppa, M., Gerbelle, M., Colombini, S., Battelli, M., Badino, P., Vernetti-Prot, L., Toral, P.G., Brugiapaglia, A., Gardini, G., Malfatto, V., Constant, I., Galli, A., Trespeuch, C. and Renna, M., 2025. Hermetia illucens oil vs hydrogenated palm fat in dairy cow nutrition: effects on digestive parameters, oxidative stress, and milk production performance. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 16: 90. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01222-9
Salomone, R., Saija, G., Mondello, G., Giannetto, A., Fasulo, S. and Savastano, D., 2017. Environmental impact of food waste bioconversion by insects: application of life cycle assessment to process using Hermetia illucens. Journal of Cleaner Production 140: 890-905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.06.154
Singaravadivelan, A., Sachin, P.B., Harikumar, S., Vijayakumar, P., Vindhya, M.V., Farhana, F.B. and Mathew, J., 2023. Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emission from the dairy production system. Tropical Animal Health and Production 55: 320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03748-4
Vargas, J.E., Andrés, S., López-Ferreras, L., Snelling, T.J., Yáñez-Ruı́z, D.R., Garcı́a-Estrada, C. and López, S., 2020. Dietary supplemental plant oils reduce methanogenesis from anaerobic microbial fermentation in the rumen. Scientific Reports 10: 1613. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58401-z
Yanza, Y.R., Szumacher-Strabel, M., Jayanegara, A., Kasenta, A.M., Gao, M., Huang, H. and Cieślak, A., 2021. The effects of dietary medium-chain fatty acids on ruminal methanogenesis and fermentation in vitro and in vivo: a meta-analysis. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 105: 874-889. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.13367
| 全部期间 | 过去一年 | 过去30天 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 摘要浏览次数 | 303 | 303 | 22 |
| 全文浏览次数 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| PDF下载次数 | 22 | 22 | 0 |
This study applies Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate the environmental sustainability of using Hermetia illucens oil (HIO) instead of hydrogenated palm fat (HPF) in dairy cow diets. One kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) was chosen as the functional unit, and a gate-to-gate approach defined the system boundaries. Primary data were collected during an experimental trial conducted using Valdostana Red Pied cows. Enteric methane emissions were both measured in vitro and estimated using the IPCC model. Results showed that HIO reduces climate change impact from 1.11 to 0.99 kg CO2 eq/kg FPCM (−11%), mainly due to lower enteric methane emissions, as measured in vitro. This reduction can be attributed to the high concentrations of lauric and myristic acids in HIO, which are known to possess methane-suppressing effects. Contribution analysis revealed that enteric methane accounted for 63% of the climate change impact, followed by concentrate feed, which was the main hotspot in most other categories. Despite slightly higher resource use (fossils: +7.1%; minerals and metals: +5.5%), the overall environmental burden was 3.98% lower with HIO. The analysis using the IPCC model for estimating emissions did not report differences between the two treatments but confirmed a reduction in the overall environmental impact when using HIO (–2.26%).
| 全部期间 | 过去一年 | 过去30天 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 摘要浏览次数 | 303 | 303 | 22 |
| 全文浏览次数 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| PDF下载次数 | 22 | 22 | 0 |