Life cycle assessment and economic analysis of poultry production in the united arab emirates: pathways to circular and climate-resilient food systems
Raeda OSMAN, Eihab FATHELRAHMAN, Sabeera HARIS, Munjed A. MARAQA, Adil I. ELAWAD, Tamrat GEBISO
Abstract. Poultry production is a vital component of food security in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); however, it is a resource-intensive and environmentally challenging endeavour. The heavy reliance on imported feed, high energy demand for climate-controlled housing, and the need for sustainable water use all heighten the sector’s vulnerability to climate change. Quantifying both environmental and economic performance of the sector is crucial for identifying sustainable pathways. This study employed an integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and economic analysis to examine broiler production in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The study uses primary data collected from fourteen commercial farms. The functional unit was defined as a 1-ton broiler chicken carcass. The LCA followed the cradle-to-farm gate boundary and was performed using the ReCiPe 2016 method, assessing both midpoint and endpoint impacts. The economic analysis evaluated operating costs, revenues and gross margins. At the midpoint level, feed production was the dominant contributor, accounting for approximately 75% of climate change impacts, 65-70% of eutrophication, and nearly 81% of land-use impacts, reflecting the reliance on imported maize and soybean meals. Electricity use in climate-controlled environments contributed 15-20% to climate change and was the leading source of particulate matter formation. At the endpoint level, the impacts of damage assessment ranked highest for human health, followed by ecosystems, with resources being the least affected. Economically, the farms achieved solid gross margins (26% of the total income), with feed and chicks as the primary cost drivers, confirming profitability but also vulnerability to external input markets. The combined analysis identified feed and energy use as the main sustainability hotspots. Strategies such as circular feed alternatives, renewable energy integration, and improved manure management would simultaneously reduce the environmental footprint while maintaining profitability and enhancing climate resilience in the UAE poultry production.
Keywords
Life Cycle Assessment, Economic Analysis, Poultry Production, Climate Resilience, Sustainability
Published online 6/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Raeda OSMAN, Eihab FATHELRAHMAN, Sabeera HARIS, Munjed A. MARAQA, Adil I. ELAWAD, Tamrat GEBISO, Life cycle assessment and economic analysis of poultry production in the united arab emirates: pathways to circular and climate-resilient food systems, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 651-656, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-88
The article was published as article 88 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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