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Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Life Cycle Assessment on the Black Soldier Fly ( Hermetia illucens L.)

Author

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  • Kofi Armah Boakye-Yiadom

    (Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy)

  • Alessio Ilari

    (Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy)

  • Daniele Duca

    (Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy)

Abstract

The black soldier fly (BSF) is recognised as a valuable insect for mitigating feed and organic waste management challenges. Thus, concerted efforts are being directed toward the promotion of the BSF. Despite the numerous advantages of BSF larvae, there are several critical environmental aspects, particularly its global warming potential, that need to be considered before large-scale adoption due to the complexity of the insect’s value chain. The direct assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia emissions from BSF larvae biotreatment is crucial for conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the insect products’ environmental performance. This article reviews the emissions of GHG from BSF larvae bioconversion activities based on different gas sensing techniques while highlighting the factors that influence these emissions. Generally, low gas emissions were reported. However, the influence of various factors influencing emissions remains unclear, especially for nitrous oxide. We also analysed LCA studies on BSFL products while emphasising the uncertainties and variabilities among the studies. The wide variation of impact scores reported in the studies suggests that standardised guidelines should be developed to streamline methodical approaches for impact assessments pertaining to system boundaries, functional units, allocation, and system expansion assumptions. We identified several aspects for future improvements to harmonise studies in order to enhance the comparative assessment of the BSFL products.

Suggested Citation

  • Kofi Armah Boakye-Yiadom & Alessio Ilari & Daniele Duca, 2022. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Life Cycle Assessment on the Black Soldier Fly ( Hermetia illucens L.)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-29, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:16:p:10456-:d:894912
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Muhammad Yousaf Arshad & Salaha Saeed & Ahsan Raza & Anum Suhail Ahmad & Agnieszka Urbanowska & Mateusz Jackowski & Lukasz Niedzwiecki, 2023. "Integrating Life Cycle Assessment and Machine Learning to Enhance Black Soldier Fly Larvae-Based Composting of Kitchen Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-22, August.
    2. Kofi Armah Boakye-Yiadom & Alessio Ilari & Valentina Bisinella & Ester Foppa Pedretti & Daniele Duca, 2023. "Environmental Impact Assessment of Frozen Peas Production from Conventional and Organic Farming in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-20, September.
    3. Collins M. Bulinda & Eric O. Gido & Holger Kirscht & Chrysantus M. Tanga, 2023. "Gendered Awareness of Pig and Poultry Farmers on the Potential of Black Soldier Fly ( Hermetia illucens ) Farming in Kenya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-14, February.

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