PRAGUE  — Czech biotechnology startup Bene Meat Technologies (BMT), in collaboration with scientists from the Czech Technical University in Prague, announced it conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) study focused on the industrial cultivation of meat. The study, peer reviewed by an LCA expert from the University of Nottingham, was conducted to provide insight into the environmental impacts of cultivated meat production on an industrial scale.

Founded in 2020, BMT has been hard at work to develop and commercialize its cultured meat for use in nutritional products. Through its cultured meat, BMT aims to help pet food manufacturers with their sustainability goals while also offering an affordable price.

An independent review of the study was conducted by Jon McKechnie from the University of Nottingham, who specializes in resource strategies contributing to environmental sustainability.

Demonstrating the sustainable possibilities of cultivated meat production, the results of the study indicate that cultivated meat has a significantly lower environmental impact than traditional animal production. 

“This LCA study provides the first comprehensive insight into the actual impacts of industrial meat cultivation,” said the study’s lead author, Miroslav Žilka, Ph.D., from the Czech Technical University in Prague. “Our findings demonstrate that this technology has enormous potential, in terms of environmental impacts, and achieves significantly better results than, for example, traditional beef production.”

Žilka explained that the study includes all of the input materials, which account for more than half of the total emissions per kilogram of meat. This implies that the cultivation technology is so efficient that most of the related emissions occur outside the biotechnology facility, at the raw material suppliers.

The study found that only 3.1 square meters (33.37 square feet) of land (including land for the growing of the necessary raw materials) was needed to cultivate 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of meat, which is less than that for conventional farmed meat, according to BMT. The study also predicts an even further reduction to 2 square meters (21.53 square feet) per kilogram.

The study also found that 5.28 kg of CO2 equivalent emissions are produced per kilogram of meat, which is less than most meats from conventional farming, according to BMT. This is in comparison to insights from Ourworldindata that state 1 kg of beef typically generates between 20 to 100 kg of CO2 equivalent emissions. The study also predicts a gradual decrease to 3.29 kg of CO2 equivalent emissions.

“We believe that this study marks a key milestone in understanding the environmental impacts of cultivated meat, and confirms its potential as a sustainable source of protein,” said Tomáš Kubeš, head of strategic projects at BMT.