Mr. Aubin shares his preliminary findings on the current status of social life cycle assessment in the poultry industry at the CSBE 2023 Conference
July 23, 2019
In July of 2023, Aubin flew across the country, over the wooded lakeshores of Ontario and the boundless prairies
of Manitoba and Saskatchewan to the foothills of Lethbridge, Alberta to present his research at the 2023
Canadian Society for Bioengineering conference hosted by Lethbridge College.
In front of a group of fellow bioengineering researchers and professionals, he discussed his research about
a new methodology for measuring the social impacts of transitioning towards a circular bioeconomy.
In this study, he utilized the case of the poultry sector to discuss a modification of the ReSOLVE framework
for circular economy which would allow the inclusion of social parameters and can be used to assess performance
using decision variables and indicators.
Using this method, hotspots where social sustainability improvement potential are high within agricultural
value chains are identified.
Next, indicators are formulated to measure the potential social benefit of improving the circularity at these
hotspots following the principles of the ReSOLVE framework.
Following the presentation, several attendees had questions, which led to fruitful discussion of the
merits of social impacts and the future of social assessment in bioengineering.
After the presentation, Aubin attended other presentations and a tour of the campus facilities and farms,
from fields of canola to industrial grain dryers. As the summer sun set late over the mountains to the west,
Aubin reflected on the future of bioengineering and sustainable food production.
After two exhilarating days of witnessing the dedication and creativity of his peers,
he slept easily, knowing the future was in good hands. After all, there is a time for research,
and there is also a time for rest.