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Hybrid Application of LCA to Analyze the Global Warming Potential of Food Supply Chain

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Handbook of Climate Change Across the Food Supply Chain

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

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Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is one of the best, most practical, and most standardized approaches for evaluating the environmental consequences of a food supply chain (FSC). It covers a comprehensive range of impact categories in which the global warming potential (GWP) is the main impact category that is included in almost all LCA’s impact assessment methodologies. LCA has been applied to investigate the GWP of various FSCs worldwide. Recent studies show that the hybrid application of LCA is more powerful than single LCA. LCA can be combined with other methodologies to model, and optimize processes and decision-making purposes as well. In this regard, LCA has been coupled with mathematical approaches (regression, Cobb–Douglas, and data envelopment analysis), artificial-based intelligence (artificial neural networks, adaptive neuro-fuzzy based interface, particle swarm optimization, and genetic algorithms), and multi-criteria decision making (analytic hierarchy process, and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process). This chapter provides the relevant literature regarding the joint application of LCA in analyzing the GWP effects of FSCs, along with the pros and cons of hybrid approaches.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by Ghent University Global Campus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Technology, Food Technology and Molecular Biotechnology, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon, South Korea

    Amin Nikkhah & Sam Van Haute

  2. Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Amin Nikkhah & Sam Van Haute

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  1. Amin Nikkhah
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  2. Sam Van Haute
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Correspondence to Amin Nikkhah .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. FTZ-NK, HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Zemun-Belgrade, Serbia

    Ilija Djekic

  3. DIL German Institute of Food Technologies, Quakenbrück, Niedersachsen, Germany

    Sergiy Smetana

  4. FTZ-NK, HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Marina Kovaleva

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Nikkhah, A., Van Haute, S. (2022). Hybrid Application of LCA to Analyze the Global Warming Potential of Food Supply Chain. In: Leal Filho, W., Djekic, I., Smetana, S., Kovaleva, M. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change Across the Food Supply Chain. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87934-1_14

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