Towards sustainable industrial food production using Life Cycle Assessment approaches

Abstract

The environmental impact of food products occur in all nodes of the supply chain; from production of inputs to agriculture, through farming, industry and retail to households. Impacts at one node often depend on activities at other nodes, and improvement options for food industry might often involve changes that result in large savings at other nodes rather than for the industry’s own emissions. This must be considered when assessing food products, and Life cycle Assessment (LCA) is a well established tool for such analyses. However, for novel processes or products, the LCA methodology needs to be adapted to the specific circumstances and questions posed. In this chapter, two case studies where LCA has been used are presented, exemplifying the value of adopting a food chain perspective. In addition, a methodological proposal for a working framework is given.