Development and harmonisation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for food products (LCAFoodPrint)

Assessing and comparing the environmental impacts of food production is challenging due to different assessment and calculation methods. The LCAFoodPrint model considers the entire life cycle of food, from carbon and water footprints to eutrophication, and production and supply chains.

The LCAFoodPrint project is developing a harmonized, science-based and practical methodological framework for environmental footprint assessment of food products. Harmonized life cycle assessment enables, among other things, a more reliable comparison of different food products and product groups. The project, led by Luke, brings together a wide range of food business players from across the food chain.

Life cycle assessment and carbon footprints are used in food and environmental policy-making and utilised, for example, in public procurement. One of the key reasons for determining the environmental footprint of food is to identify environmental hot spots and emission reduction possibilities in supply chains. In addition, carbon footprints of food are increasingly being used in consumer communication and as a basis for environmental claims, as part of corporate responsibility work of companies. The project advances the Governmental Program by developing life cycle assessment methods of food in broad cooperation.

Common rules are needed for assessment and calculation methods to enable that carbon and other environmental footprinting of food, public debate and decision-making are based on as consistent, harmonized and comparable information as possible.

The environmental responsibility of the food system has been most concretely measured by the carbon footprint of food products, ie. green house gases, measured and illustrated as CO2-equivalents originating from real food supply chains. The project aims not only to harmonize the assessment but also to integrate eutrophication impacts and the water footprint into food LCAs, and related communication and public discussion and decision-making in society.

The three-year project works closely with a wide range of business and industry organizations and ministries to ensure that the assessment guidelines serve the industry and food chain and are implemented by food system players, ministries, consultants and other research institutes. The aim is also to align between research and food chain players what criteria and minimum requirements for the assessment are needed to support the communication of environmental footprints of food products.

In addition to Luke, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and food chain companies and organisations, the Finnish Environment Institute, the University of Helsinki, VTT, LUT University, the Ministry of Environment and WWF Finland are participating in the project.