BT Young Scientist Competition - Keep clean, replace the bean!

Below is a summary of another SHSS project competing in the BT Young Scientist Competition.

Keep Clean, Replace the Bean!

Well done to Keri O’Donovan, Aoife Whelton and Kate Llewellyn for investigating the environmental benefits of replacing soya bean meal with native BioreFinery Glas product as a source of protein in the diets of monogastric animals.

They investigated the environmental benefits of replacing soya bean with BioreFinery Glas which is a protein made from grass in the diets of monogastric animals (animals with one stomach i.e. pigs and chickens). They calculated the mass of CO2 emitted from transporting soya beans from South America to Irish farms, and compared this to the mass of CO2 emitted from transporting BioreFinery Glas to Irish Farms.

They found the following:

• approx 255kg CO2 emitted to transport soya bean to Ireland per trip compared to

• 27kg CO2 emitted for biorefiery protein concentrate transportaion

• 87% of farmers said they would switch to biorefinery protein concentrate

• 3/4 of farmers didn't know about the project before hand

Well done to the girls and huge thanks to their teacher, Ms Holland.