Environmental Assessment and Management in the Food Industry: Life Cycle Assessment and Related Approaches (Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition)

433 Pages·2010·14.39 MB·English

by  Ulf Sonesson

i
Environmental assessment and management
in the food industry
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010
ii
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© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010
iii
Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition:
Number 194
Environmental assessment
and management in the
food industry
Life cycle assessment and related
approaches
Edited by
U. Sonesson, J. Berlin and F. Ziegler
Oxford Cambridge Philadelphia New Delhi
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010
iv
Published by Woodhead Publishing Limited, Abington Hall, Granta Park,
Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AH, UK
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First published 2010, Woodhead Publishing Limited
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010
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ISBN 978-0-85709-022-5 (online)
ISSN 2042-8049 Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (print)
ISSN 2042-8057 Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (online)
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© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010
v
contents
Contributor contact details ................................................................. xi
Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and
Nutrition .............................................................................................. xv
Preface ................................................................................................ xxiii
Part I Environmental impacts of food production and processing
1 Improving nutrient management in agriculture to reduce
eutrophication, acidification and climate change .................. 3
C. Cederberg, SIK – the Swedish Institute for Food and
Biotechnology, Sweden
1.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 3
1.2 Eutrophication and acidification ....................................... 4
1.3 Climate change ................................................................. 7
1.4 Mismanagement of nutrients ............................................ 10
1.5 Future trends..................................................................... 12
1.6 References ........................................................................ 14
2 Increasing the efficiency of water use in crop production .... 16
P. S. Bindraban, R. E. E. Jongschaap and H. van Keulen,
Agrosystems Research, Plant Research International, Wageningen
University and Research Centre (WUR), The Netherlands
2.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 16
2.2 Water scarcity: the global dimension ............................... 17
2.3 Future demand for water and food ................................... 20
2.4 Improving water use efficiency in agriculture ................. 21
2.5 Future trends and options to increase water use
efficiency .......................................................................... 28
2.6 Conclusions ...................................................................... 32
2.7 References ........................................................................ 33
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010
vi Contents
Part II Life cycle assessment of food production and
processing
3 Life cycle assessment (Lca) of food production and
processing: an introduction ..................................................... 37
S. J. Mclaren, Massey University, New Zealand
3.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 37
3.2 History of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) ........................ 38
3.3 LCA as a decision-support tool ....................................... 40
3.4 Application of LCA to food systems ............................... 44
3.5 Future trends..................................................................... 53
3.6 Sources of further information and advice ...................... 55
3.7 References ........................................................................ 56
4 Methodology for Life cycle assessment ................................ 59
A-M. Tillman, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
4.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 59
4.2 Application of LCA ......................................................... 63
4.3 LCA methodology in short .............................................. 66
4.4 Critical methodology choices ........................................... 70
4.5 Examples of different applications’ demands on
methodology ..................................................................... 76
4.6 Recent trends in LCA....................................................... 77
4.7 Sources of further information and advice ...................... 79
4.8 References ........................................................................ 80
5 challenges relating to data and system delimitation in
Life cycle assessments of food products ................................ 83
J. H. Schmidt, Aalborg University, Denmark
5.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 83
5.2 System delimitation in agricultural Life Cycle
Assessments (LCAs) ........................................................ 84
5.3 System delimitation in electricity LCAs .......................... 89
5.4 System delimitation and by-products in food LCAs........ 91
5.5 Future trends ................................................................... 95
5.6 Sources of further information and advice ...................... 96
5.7 References ....................................................................... 96
6 challenges in assessing the environmental impacts of crop
production and horticulture .................................................... 98
T. Nemecek and G. Gaillard, Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon
Research Station ART, Switzerland
6.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 98
6.2 Main challenges: (a) Defining agricultural systems ....... 99
6.3 Main challenges: (b) Understanding agricultural systems 103
6.4 Implications and recommendations .................................. 109
6.5 Future trends..................................................................... 111
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010
Contents vii
6.6 References ........................................................................ 112
7 complexities in assessing the environmental impacts of
livestock products ..................................................................... 117
T. L. T. Nguyen, L. Mogensen and J. E. Hermansen, Aarhus
University, Denmark, and N. Halberg, International Centre for
Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS), Denmark
7.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 117
7.2 Complexities in assessing the environmental impacts of
livestock systems ............................................................. 118
7.3 Inventory analysis ........................................................... 124
7.4 Impact assessment ........................................................... 131
7.5 Interpretation of results .................................................... 135
7.6 Future trends ................................................................... 136
7.7 References ....................................................................... 139
8 challenges in assessing the environmental impacts of
aquaculture and fisheries ......................................................... 142
F. Ziegler, SIK – the Swedish Institute for Food and
Biotechnology, Sweden
8.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 143
8.2 Overview of the biological impacts of fishing ................. 144
8.3 Overview of the biological impacts of aquaculture ......... 149
8.4 Energy use and carbon footprint of seafood supply
chains ................................................................................ 152
8.5 Eco-labeling of seafood.................................................... 156
8.6 Conclusions and future trends .......................................... 158
8.7 Acknowledgement ............................................................ 159
8.8 References ........................................................................ 159
Part III current and future applications of Life cycle
assessment and related approaches
9 Towards sustainable industrial food production using
Life cycle assessment approaches .......................................... 165
U. Sonesson and J. Berlin, SIK – the Swedish Institute for
Food and Biotechnology, Sweden, and A. Hospido, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
9.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 165
9.2 Case studies ...................................................................... 166
9.3 Methodological approach: proposal of a framework ....... 171
9.4 Discussion ........................................................................ 174
9.5 Conclusions ...................................................................... 175
9.6 References ........................................................................ 176
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010
viii Contents
10 addressing land use and ecotoxicological impacts in
Life cycle assessments of food production technologies ..... 177
A. M. De Schryver, R. van Zelm and M. A. J. Huijbregts,
Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and
M. Goedkoop, PRé Consultants b.v., The Netherlands
10.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 177
10.2 Life cycle impact methods for land occupation and
transformation .................................................................. 179
10.3 Life cycle impact methods for ecotoxicity ...................... 189
10.4 Future trends..................................................................... 199
10.5 Conclusions ...................................................................... 200
10.6 Sources of further information and advice ...................... 200
10.7 References ........................................................................ 201
11 combining Life cycle assessment of food products with
economic tools ............................................................................ 207
E. Settanni, B. Notarnicola and G. Tassielli, University of Bari,
Italy
11.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 207
11.2 Methods of combining Life Cycle Assessment of
food products with economics tools ................................ 208
11.3 Discussion and conclusion .............................................. 215
11.4 References ........................................................................ 216
12 Inclusion of social aspects in Life cycle assessment of food 219
S. A. Kruse, Ecotrust, USA
12.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 219
12.2 Including social aspects in Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA) of food .................................................................. 220
12.3 Methods of including social aspects in LCA of food ...... 222
12.4 Applications ..................................................................... 226
12.5 Future trends..................................................................... 230
12.6 Sources of further information and advice ...................... 231
12.7 References ........................................................................ 232
13 Ecodesign of food products ...................................................... 234
M. Thrane, Aalborg University, Denmark, and A. Flysjö, Arla
Foods, Denmark
13.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 234
13.2 What is ecodesign? ........................................................... 235
13.3 The spiderweb approach .................................................. 238
13.4 Perspectives ...................................................................... 247
13.5 Future trends..................................................................... 250
13.6 Sources of further information and advice ..................... 251
13.7 References ........................................................................ 252
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010
Contents ix
14 Footprinting methods for assessment of the environmental
impacts of food production and processing ............................ 255
R. Lillywhite, University of Warwick, UK
14.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 255
14.2 Footprinting, comparison and contrast to Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA) ........................................................... 256
14.3 An introduction to ecological footprinting....................... 257
14.4 Water footprinting ............................................................ 261
14.5 Carbon footprinting .......................................................... 264
14.6 Environmental footprinting .............................................. 266
14.7 Nitrogen footprinting ........................................................ 267
14.8 Non-environment footprinting.......................................... 268
14.9 Future trends..................................................................... 268
14.10 Sources of further information and advice ...................... 269
14.11 References ........................................................................ 269
15 carbon footprinting and carbon labelling of food
products ...................................................................................... 272
K. Plassmann and G. Edwards-Jones, Bangor University, UK
15.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 272
15.2 Principles of carbon analysis and carbon labelling of
food products .................................................................... 273
15.3 Examples of some food products for which carbon
footprints have been published ........................................ 276
15.4 Difficulties and uncertainties in calculating carbon
footprints .......................................................................... 286
15.5 Future trends..................................................................... 292
15.6 Sources of further information and advice ...................... 293
15.7 References ........................................................................ 294
16 Sustainability indicators for the food supply chain ............... 297
N. Yakovleva, Cardiff University, UK, J. Sarkis, Clark
University, USA, and T. W. Sloan, University of Massachusetts
Lowell, USA
16.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 297
16.2 Sustainability indicators and sustainability
benchmarking in the supply chain ................................... 299
16.3 Sustainability indicators for the food supply chain ......... 302
16.4 Application of analytical network processing (ANP) to
sustainability scores ......................................................... 311
16.5 Future trends ................................................................... 322
16.6 Sources of further information and advice ...................... 323
16.7 References ........................................................................ 324
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2010