Life Cycle Thinking, Measurement and Management for Food System Sustainability

Pelletier, Nathan

doi:10.1021/acs.est.5b00441

Cited by 33 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an internationally-recognized quantitative assessment approach that evaluates potential environmental impacts of products and services throughout their "life cycle", beginning with raw material extraction and including all aspects of transportation, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life treatment. Over recent decades, LCA and life cycle thinking has become a principal approach to compare the environmental impacts of various foods and diets [8,16,50,51].…”

Section: Life Cycle Inventory and Impact Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Meatless and Meat-Containing Meals in the United States

Ernstoff

Tu²,

Faist

et al. 2019

Sustainability

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This study compares the environmental impacts of meatless and meat-containing meals in the United States according to consumption data in order to identify commercial opportunities to lower environmental impacts of meals. Average consumption of meal types (breakfast, lunch, dinner) were assessed using life cycle assessment. Retail and consumer wastes, and weight losses and gains through cooking, were used to adjust the consumption quantities to production quantities. On average, meatless meals had more than a 40% reduction in environmental impacts than meat-containing meals for any of the assessed indicators (carbon footprint, water use, resource consumption, health impacts of pollution, and ecosystem quality). At maximum and minimum for carbon footprint, meat-containing dinners were associated with 5 kgCO2e and meatless lunches 1 kg CO2e. Results indicate that, on average in the US, meatless meals lessen environmental impacts in comparison to meat-containing meals; however, animal products (i.e., dairy) in meatless meals also had a substantial impact. Findings suggest that industrial interventions focusing on low-impact meat substitutes for dinners and thereafter lunches, and low-impact dairy substitutes for breakfasts, offer large opportunities for improving the environmental performance of the average diet.

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Section: Life Cycle Inventory and Impact Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Meatless and Meat-Containing Meals in the United States

Ernstoff

Tu²,

Faist

et al. 2019

Sustainability

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“…The production of food-in particular, in the livestock sector-contributes a large fraction of current anthropogenic resource demands and environmental pressures [1][2][3]. For this reason, livestock Sustainability 2018, 10, 3524 2 of 24 industries are naturally the focus of a growing body of sustainability research and management initiatives [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Taken together with projected increases in food production globally and a trend towards diets higher in livestock products, this has spurred considerable interest in the concept and practice of "sustainable intensification" in the livestock sector [4]. According to Pretty et al [5], sustainable intensification is defined as "producing more output from the same area of land while reducing negative environmental impacts and at the same time increasing contributions to natural capital and the flow of environmental services."…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This perspective enables us to understand how different kinds of potential sustainability benefits and impacts are distributed along agri-food supply chains, as well as trade-offs that may occur with respect to different valued outcomes when particular changes are implemented. Environmental life cycle assessment (e-LCA) is a commonly used tool, based on LCT, for studying and managing the resource/environmental dimensions of food supply chains [4]. In recent years, a rich body of research has applied this tool to evaluate a variety of livestock production systems and technologies in different contexts, and as a basis for understanding the respective merits of potential sustainable intensification technologies (for a review of 173 recent papers, see McClelland et al [7]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sustainability in the Canadian Egg Industry—Learning from the Past, Navigating the Present, Planning for the Future

et al. 2018

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Like other livestock sectors, the Canadian egg industry has evolved substantially over time and will likely experience similarly significant change looking forward, with many of these changes determining the sustainability implications of and for the industry. Influencing factors include: technological and management changes at farm level and along the value chain resulting in greater production efficiencies and improved life cycle resource efficiency and environmental performance; a changing policy/regulatory environment; and shifts in societal expectations and associated market dynamics, including increased attention to animal welfare outcomes-especially in regard to changes in housing systems for laying hens. In the face of this change, effective decision-making is needed to ensure the sustainability of the Canadian egg industry. Attention both to lessons from the past and to the emerging challenges that will shape its future is required and multi-and interdisciplinary perspectives are needed to understand synergies and potential trade-offs between alternative courses of action across multiple aspects of sustainability. Here, we consider the past, present and potential futures for this industry through the lenses of environmental, institutional (i.e., regulatory), and socio-economic sustainability, with an emphasis on animal welfare as an important emergent social consideration. Our analysis identifies preferred pathways, potential pitfalls, and outstanding cross-disciplinary research questions.

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“…The implementation of science-based metrics is fundamental to identifying strategies to improve and communicate the performance of beef production systems to different stakeholders [4]. This is especially important given that many beef production systems, particularly cow/calf production, are very heterogeneous, with pronounced differences in management practices (e.g., animal husbandry and grazing systems), breeds, and feed management [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Sustainability Enhancements in the Beef Value Chain: State-of-the-Art and Recommendations for Future Improvements

Souza

Petre²,

Jackson³

et al. 2017

Animals

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Simple SummaryTo better address consumer concerns, the beef sector is working on strategies to enhance the sustainability of all aspects of the beef supply chain. Among these strategies are (1) the development of science-based frameworks and indicators capable of measuring progress at all stages of beef production; (2) the engagement of different stakeholders along the beef supply chain at regional and global levels; and (3) the improvement of communication among stakeholders and transparency towards consumers. Progress on these three fronts was presented during the 2nd Global Conference on Sustainable Beef, hosted by the Global and Canadian Roundtables for Sustainable Beef. During the event, there was a clear understanding that the beef industry is substantially advancing efforts to continuously improve its sustainability, both at regional and global levels, by developing assessment frameworks and indicators to measure progress. However, it is also clear that the beef sector has a need to more clearly define the concept of beef sustainability, strengthen cooperation and exchange of information among national roundtables for sustainable beef, as well as improve the flow of information along the supply chain. An improved transparency in the beef sector will help consumers make more informed decisions about food products.AbstractThe beef sector is working towards continually improving its sustainability in order to achieve environmentally, socially and economically desirable outcomes, all of which are of increasing concern to consumers. In this context, the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) provides guidance to advance the sustainability of the beef industry, through increased stakeholder engagement and the formation of national roundtables. Recently, the 2nd Global Conference on Sustainable Beef took place in Banff, Alberta, Canada, hosted by the GRSB and the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Conference attendees discussed the various initiatives that are being developed to address aspects of beef sustainability. This paper reviews the main discussions that occurred during this event, along with the key lessons learned, messages, and strategies that were proposed to improve the sustainability of the global beef industry.

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Life Cycle Thinking, Measurement and Management for Food System Sustainability

Cited by 33 publications

References 20 publications

Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Meatless and Meat-Containing Meals in the United States

Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Meatless and Meat-Containing Meals in the United States

Sustainability in the Canadian Egg Industry—Learning from the Past, Navigating the Present, Planning for the Future

A Review of Sustainability Enhancements in the Beef Value Chain: State-of-the-Art and Recommendations for Future Improvements

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