06 / Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact

Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact

Published reporting, research and funding records filed under Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact.

Standing description

Cell-Ag has published 10 records under Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact, covering reporting, research digests and funding calls. The most recent entry is dated 27 September 2026. The organisations named most often in this coverage are Solar Foods, Aalto University.

Organisations in this topic

Solar Foods · 2 Aalto University · 1

WEEK OF 21 SEPTEMBER 2026

SCIENCE

Deciphering the Reversible Adaptation of PK15 Cells to Serum-Free Suspension Culture: A Stepwise Strategy and Molecular Insights

27 September 2026 · Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Reproductive Biology and Fertility

Porcine PK15 kidney epithelial cells adapted better through staged serum reduction than direct reduction, offering a possible route to scalable seed cell growth for cultivated meat. Researchers compared both methods, moved low-serum adherent cells into serum-free suspension, returned them to adherent culture, and analysed gene expression. Sequential adaptation preserved proliferation, cell-cycle progression and epithelial traits, while suspension cells shifted towards more efficient energy use. Re-adherence partly restored morphology, growth features and oxidative-stress measures. Reversible genes centred on adhesion and metabolism, making staged adaptation the stronger method tested.

SCIENCE

Sustainable proteins for future food systems: nutritional quality, environmental trade-offs, and consumer acceptance

27 September 2026 · Insect Utilization and Effects · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability

A multidisciplinary review compares plant, microbial, algal, insect, fermented and cultivated proteins to assess their role in future food supply and the trade-offs that could limit it. The authors examine amino acids, digestibility, micronutrients and health effects, alongside life-cycle measures and evidence on consumer uptake. They identify tensions around processing, energy use and production scale. Taste, culture, price and aversion to unfamiliar foods also affect adoption. The proposed framework shows that no single measure can judge protein alternatives.

WEEK OF 10 AUGUST 2026

SCIENCE

From residual biomass to novel feed ingredients for pigs, broilers and fish: A methodology for integrating feed formulation and consequential life cycle assessment

10 August 2026 · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Animal Nutrition and Physiology · Insect Utilization and Effects

Researchers combined market-based feed formulation with consequential life cycle assessment to test four residual-biomass ingredients in diets for pigs, sows, broilers and fish. The options were bacterial protein using manure-derived methane, fungal protein using sugars from wheat straw, protein concentrate from sugar beet leaves, and black soldier fly meal produced on food waste. Bacterial protein delivered the largest environmental gains across species, reflecting its production impact, dietary inclusion level and reduction of soybean meal. Standard substitution proxies overstated climate savings by 14–38%.

WEEK OF 3 AUGUST 2026

SCIENCE

Yeast-based valorization of challenging side streams for food applications: precision vs. biomass fermentation

3 August 2026 · Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction · Biofuel production and bioconversion · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact

Yeast fermentation was assessed as a way to turn agricultural and food residues and industrial by-products into proteins, oils and other food ingredients. The article compares biomass and precision fermentation across conventional and non-conventional yeasts, considering strain robustness, metabolic range and circular production potential. It also reviews synthetic biology, strain engineering, product recovery and food regulation. The authors identify scale-up, infrastructure, inconsistent regulation and consumer acceptance as barriers to commercial use, while noting potential to reduce food production’s dependence on farmland.

WEEK OF 13 JULY 2026

SCIENCE

Next-generation cellular agriculture: Innovations, challenges, and the future of animal-based food production

15 July 2026 · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Agricultural Systems and Practices · Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development

Cellular agriculture innovations were reviewed for technical maturity, scale-up, commercial prospects, regulation, ethics and consumer acceptance. The authors examined cell lines, animal-free media, bioreactors, scaffolds and precision fermentation, including its supply of growth factors and proteins for cell cultivation and hybrid foods. They found that media expense, unstable cell lines, oxygen and shear constraints, metabolite buildup, contamination, energy use and infrastructure needs remain barriers. Commercial progress will require cheaper, optimized processes alongside workable regulation, safety controls and public trust.

WEEK OF 29 JUNE 2026

SCIENCE

Feeding the Future: Next‐Generation Nutritional Frontiers, Innovations, Technologies, and Transformative Pathways for Sustainable Global Food Systems

1 July 2026 · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Algal biology and biofuel production · Insect Utilization and Effects

A narrative review assessed five emerging food technology areas: microbial protein from precision fermentation, cultivated meat and seafood, plant-derived foods and proteins from fungi or algae, nutrient enhancement and functional foods, and 3D printing using new ingredients. The authors compared nutrition, environmental impacts, scale-up potential, regulation, health implications, limitations, and evidence gaps. They found that technical, policy, energy, access, consumer acceptance, and socioeconomic uncertainties remain substantial, supporting a combined approach alongside longer dietary trials, comprehensive life-cycle studies, and independent checking of research claims.

WEEK OF 22 JUNE 2026

SCIENCE

Food-grade utilization of bovine slaughterhouse by-products for developing cost-effective media supplements in cultivated meat applications

25 June 2026 · Meat and Animal Product Quality · Protein Hydrolysis and Bioactive Peptides · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact

Bovine slaughter by-products were assessed as food-grade media ingredients for cultivated meat. The review examined muscle growth and repair biology, satellite cells, myogenic regulators, drawbacks of fetal bovine serum, and alternatives including recombinant proteins, food-derived components, and adult livestock serum. Compositional analysis found that blood and organs provide proteins, amino acids, fats, and minerals relevant to muscle cell growth and maturation. Plasma and serum had different functional profiles, while liver, heart, spleen, tongue, and other tissues contained varying nutrients that could support lower-serum or serum-free media.

WEEK OF 15 JUNE 2026

SCIENCE

A framework for reporting texture profile analysis in cultivated meat research

19 June 2026 · Meat and Animal Product Quality · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Animal Nutrition and Physiology

A review assessed how texture profile analysis is used and reported in cultivated meat and seafood research. The authors compared 41 papers, examining specimen size, testing settings, cooking procedures and the texture measures selected. Methods and reporting differed widely, making results difficult to compare, although 0.5 strain was common and hardness and springiness were often emphasized. Drawing on these patterns plus guidance from conventional meat and polymer testing, the authors developed BIOPLATE, a checklist intended to standardize reporting and improve transparency between studies.

WEEK OF 8 JUNE 2026

SCIENCE

Encellsprotein som ett livsmedel

10 June 2026 · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability · Insect Utilization and Effects

A thesis assessed the nutritional value, processing needs, and food-use barriers of single-cell protein made from bacteria, fungi, or algae. It combined a scientific literature review with interviews at three Finnish cellular agriculture companies: Solar Foods, Enifer, and Onego Bio. The evidence indicated that these microbial proteins can provide favourable amino acid profiles, fibre, vitamins, and minerals, while offering useful texturing, emulsifying, and foaming functions. Challenges include excess nucleic acids, processing needed for safety and digestibility, regulation, and consumer acceptance.

WEEK OF 1 JUNE 2026

SCIENCE

Cell sources and engineering strategies for cultured meat production: a critical comparative review

2 June 2026 · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Pluripotent Stem Cells Research · Animal Genetics and Reproduction

The review compares fibroblasts, satellite cells, adipocytes, embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells for cultivated meat, assessing growth, differentiation, scale-up potential and effects on tissue and sensory characteristics. It finds that no cell source alone reproduces native muscle complexity: satellite cells form muscle fibres, fibroblasts make supporting matrix, and fat cells add flavour and juiciness. Pluripotent cells offer broad differentiation but raise ethical and regulatory questions. Co-culture, three-dimensional culture, process optimisation and regulatory compliance are therefore needed for industrial production.