The growing need for healthy and sustainable food alternatives has led to a rapid increase in vegan burgers on the market. Specifically, plant-based burgers using legumes as a protein substitute are amongst the most widespread choices for consumers. While these products can offer environmental benefits over traditional meat-based options, further optimization in both ecological and economic aspects can be achieved. This study conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) analysis to evaluate and optimize the environmental and economic life cycle of a legume-based vegan burger. LCA was performed in accordance with the recommendations of the ISO 14040 and 14044 series, and ReCiPe 2016 Hierarchist served as the impact assessment methodology. For this purpose, a base case scenario, relying on imported raw materials and conventional packaging for a legume-based vegan burger, was established to serve as the comparison benchmark, and various alternative scenarios were examined, focusing on minimizing the distance between cultivation and processing areas for key legume ingredients and improving packaging materials. The results indicate that reducing transportation distances for raw ingredients and using bio-polyethylene packaging significantly enhance sustainability. Specifically, the legume-based vegan burger of the base case scenario had a carbon footprint of 1.30 kg CO₂ eq. and a total life cycle cost of EUR 2.43 per two pieces. In contrast, the optimized scenario, which incorporated shorter transportation distances and bio-polyethylene packaging, achieved a carbon footprint of 0.51 kg CO₂ eq. and a reduced cost of EUR 2.37. The findings of the present work highlight the potential for further environmental and economic improvements in vegan burger production through logistics optimization and selection of climate-friendly packaging solutions, thus contributing to sustainable development.

Conventional agricultural production systems are increasingly challenged to balance environmental sustainability with economic performance, highlighting the need to systematically evaluate climate-smart agricultural practices as viable alternatives. The primary objective of the present work is to assess the environmental and economic benefits of implementing different Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices in the agricultural sector. For this purpose, four different CSA practices, including intercropping, renewable energy, variable rate fertilizer and no-tillage system, were studied in wheat cultivation in Lithuania. Subsequently, their environmental and economic performance was compared to a conventional wheat producing farm. For the environmental performance, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis was performed following the respective ISO recommendations. Based on the results, the incorporation of CSA practices in the agricultural sector can lead not only to substantial improvements in environmental performance but also to notable economic benefits, depending on the selected practice. Regarding their environmental performance, the most prominent studied CSA was renewable energy that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, followed by variable rate fertilization. The economic analysis showed intercropping to be the most profitable option, with the total profit being 792 €/ha, while no-tillage also showed competitive results, with subsidies in each studied system playing a major role in the economic performance. Conversely, variable rate fertilization and renewable energy integration highlighted trade-offs between environmental advantages and short-term economic feasibility. Overall, the adoption of CSA practices represents a promising pathway toward more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.

Yeasts are among the intrinsic factors affecting the quality of beer due to their impact on flavor. Apart from a long and rich brewing tradition of natural fermentations, involving different yeast and bacterial species in regions such as Belgium, non-Saccharomyces yeasts have not been the preferred industrial inoculation strains in both winemaking and brewing sectors. This is mainly due to their slower fermentation rates, lower alcohol tolerance, and limited ability to complete fermentation. This review explores the brewing characteristics of Torulaspora delbrueckii strains, focusing on the aromatic profile of the produced beers, in comparison with the well-known Saccharomyces cerevisiae brewing strains. The effect of fermentation parameters, as well as the use of mono- and mixed cultures with S. cerevisiae, is discussed. Specific T. delbrueckii strains have demonstrated the ability to ferment wort sugars and produce alcohol levels of up to 4–6% (v/v). The main volatile compounds produced include higher alcohols, such as isoamyl and phenyl ethyl alcohol, as well as esters and their acid precursors. Among these, ethyl hexanoate and ethyl octanoate are particularly important due to their contribution to fruity aromas. Mixed fermentations involving T. delbrueckii and S. cerevisiae have been shown to enhance ester production, resulting in improved aromatic complexity in the final product.

The main scope of the present study is to assess the environmental and economic outcomes of applying distinct Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices in apple cultivation. Thus, four different CSA practices, including organic farming, cover crops, floral bands, and grazing, were selected, and their environmental and economic performance was evaluated and compared to that of a conventional apple orchard system (baseline). Specifically, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methodologies were applied to assess the environmental and economic sustainability of the studied systems, respectively. Among the studied practices, grazing exhibited the best environmental performance among the modeled scenarios (approximately 25% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the baseline under the assumed conditions), followed by organic farming that significantly decreased eutrophication- and ecotoxicity-related impacts. Similarly, organic farming and grazing exhibited the best economic performance in the concept of the present study, with the total profit per hectare rising to approximately 5300 € and 4300 €, respectively, compared to the value of 3700 € of the conventional apple orchard. The results suggest that the implementation of CSA practices has the potential to improve the environmental and economic performance of apple orchards under the modeled conditions.

The juice industry generates substantial quantities of solid waste and wastewater. Consequently, efforts have focused on their treatment and valorization to obtain high-value-added products. Traditionally, these wastes are managed through landfill disposal and treatment in municipal wastewater facilities, respectively. In the present work, two alternative scenarios for the valorization of orange juice waste were developed and assessed in comparison to the conventional approach by performing a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Scenario 1 involved hydro-distillation of solid waste for essential oil recovery, followed by anaerobic digestion for biogas and fertilizer production, with wastewater treated via membrane filtration and chlorination. In Scenario 2, solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) was employed for essential oil recovery, followed by anaerobic digestion. Wastewater was treated in a membrane bioreactor followed by ultraviolet treatment. According to the results, Scenario 1 achieved a 36% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to the beneficial effects of biogas and fertilizer production, despite its high energy demands. Scenario 2 exhibited the best environmental performance due to lower energy demands and higher extraction efficiency compared to Scenario 1, with reductions of 46% in greenhouse gas emissions and 48% in resource depletion. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of integrating innovative, energy-efficient technologies for the sustainable valorization of juice industry waste, offering measurable environmental advantages for industrial-scale implementation.

Although climate-smart agricultural practices are increasingly promoted, comparative environmental and economic assessments across multiple practices and crops remain limited. This study evaluates five climate-smart agricultural practices in Dutch potato and onion production, including soil management, biodiversity enhancement, sustainable irrigation systems, crop protection, and green energy use. It compares them with conventional production systems using integrated Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing. Specifically, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methodologies were applied to assess the environmental and economic sustainability of the studied systems, respectively. Among the evaluated practices, soil management exhibited the best overall environmental performance for both crops, achieving reductions of up to 42% and 66% in greenhouse gas emissions for potatoes and onions, respectively, compared with the baseline under the modelled conditions. Biodiversity measures significantly reduced freshwater eutrophication and ecotoxicity-related impacts, particularly in potato cultivation, while crop protection practices mainly improved pesticide-related toxicity categories. Similarly, soil management and biodiversity demonstrated the best economic performance, with profits increasing to approximately €3318/ha and €3121/ha for potatoes and €3898/ha and €3694/ha for onions, respectively, compared with baseline profits of €2879/ha and €3526/ha. The results suggest that the implementation of CSA practices can improve both the environmental and economic sustainability of intensive vegetable production systems under the modelled Dutch conditions, although the effectiveness of each practice depends strongly on crop-specific environmental hotspots and management assumptions. The findings provide evidence to support farmers and policymakers in selecting cost-effective climate-smart practices while identifying priorities for future field validation and uncertainty assessment.