Just the tonic! How an afternoon pea-based snack could help save the rainforest – ScienceDaily

An international team of researchers has teamed up with a pioneering distillery manager to answer this question in a recent study published in the scientific journal International environment. What they discovered could lead to a new method of producing gin and other alcoholic beverages, as well as creating greener biofuels. Their discoveries could even contribute to the fight to save the rainforests of the world.

The imprint of gin production

The processes involved throughout the life cycle of the ginning production – including wheat cultivation, enzyme production, heat, electricity, packaging materials and transportation – result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 2.3 kg of CO₂ equivalent (eq.) per bottle of 70cl gin, or 160g of CO₂ eq. to a large extent (50 ml).

The main author of the study, Theophile Lienhardt, puts this in context. "In terms of the impact on climate change, drinking a lot of gin means consuming a small portion (150 ml) of milk or driving a kilometer in a gasoline car."

But what happens if this gin is made from peas? In collaboration with the team of researchers, experts from the Arbikie distillery in Scotland have carried out trials in which dry peanut kernels (Pisum sativum L.) are crushed and fermented instead of wheat kernels. mashed.

The study was part of the pan-European project TRANSition, titled TRUE, led by Dr. Pietro Iannetta, molecular ecologist at the James Hutton Institute.

Dr. Iannetta said, "We found that the environmental footprint of ginger was significantly lower than that of wheat gin for 12 of the 14 environmental impacts badessed, ranging from climate change to fossil fuel energy consumption. going through the pollution of water and air. "

Professor Mike Williams, a botanist from the faculty of natural sciences at Trinity College Dublin, was part of the research team.

He added: "Peas, which work with specialized bacteria in their roots, are able to convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into organic fertilizers, so they do not require the application of pesticides. pollutant synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, which are widely and widely used.In addition, pea hulls and distillery byproducts provide high-protein animal feed that can replace imported soybeans from Latin America, where the crop breeds Deforestation. "

The co-products of a pea-gin liter can replace up to 0.66 kg of soy-based feed, double the amount that can be obtained from the production of wheat gin. In fact, if greenhouse gas emissions from substituted soybean cultivation, deforestation, processing and transportation are also avoided, the environmental footprint may be greater than the greenhouse gas emissions. greenhouse from production, thereby neutralizing pea carbon.

And if we made another adjustment to our gastronomy decisions, we could do even more for the planet.

David Styles, life cycle badessment teacher at Bangor University and NUI Galway, added: "Of course, if we wanted to reduce our environmental footprint more dramatically and reduce deforestation, we could eat these peas directly to meet our protein and fiber needs – – instead of drinking gin and eating co-product-fed beef. "

But for times when we simply can not resist a G & T afternoon, the combined efforts of the research team and Arbikie Distillery mean that a responsible glbad does not have to cost the Earth dearly. Those who take part in it must not sacrifice flavor either.

Arbikie Distillery Manager, Kirsty Black, said: "After two distillations and an infusion of botanical ingredients including juniper and coriander, the final gin retains the same lavish aroma as it was made cereals. "