Abstract
Social Life-Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) is under continuous development. The Methodological Sheets for Subcategories in S-LCA are a set of guidelines commonly used for the performance of such assessments. They cover a variety of stakeholders and subcategories for the social assessment of products in general. However, they may not necessarily be appropriate for the assessment of biobased value chains of agricultural and forestry origin. The aim of this study is the identification of social aspects relevant for the assessment of biobased value chains across various regions of the world, including those aspects possibly overlooked in the Methodological Sheets for Subcategories in S-LCA. For this purpose, a literature review of empirical studies was performed using the sheets as a reference. The results show that the Methodological Sheets for Subcategories in S-LCA provide good coverage of social topics relevant for biobased value chains, but that the stakeholders “smallholder” and “family farm” are not adequately addressed. Drawing on the empirical literature reviewed, the study emphasizes the relevance of these stakeholders in the analysis of biobased value chains of agricultural and forestry origin, and proposes criteria for consideration in the assessment of this stakeholder.
Highlights
The increase in biobased products, including food and feed, leads to a higher demand for biomass
This study aims to answer the following research questions: (1) Which social aspects were reported and assessed in empirical studies of agricultural and forestry-based value chains in the various regions of the world during the last years? (2) To what extent are these aspects covered by the Methodological Sheets for Social Life-Cycle Assessment (S-Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA))? The assessment and reporting of social aspects in empirical literature on biobased value chains may point to relevant topics to be considered when evaluating these types of value chains
Social Aspects Assessed and/or Reported in the Literature of Biobased Value Chains According to Feedstock and World Region
Summary
The increase in biobased products, including food and feed, leads to a higher demand for biomass. Positive social impacts have been attributed to the production of biobased products These include job creation [5], higher household income in rural communities [6,7], improved agricultural techniques, greater access to energy in rural areas [8], and stronger social responsibility practices [9]. This does not mean that the production of bioproducts is always socially sustainable. Even their role in rural development has been questioned [13]
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