Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

LCA of food products and production systems

  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article is a summary of my dissertation in which LCA was applied to food products and production systems. The overall objectives were: (1) to learn more about the feasibility and limitations of LCAs of systems for the production and consumption of foods (food systems); and (2) to generate information on the environmental impact of such systems. Case studies of tomato ketchup and white bread were carried out. The main conclusion is that LCA is very valuable for incorporating environmental aspects in the development of more sustainable food systems. One of the major problems encountered was the great scarcity of environmental data. It was found that there is a need for simplified methods that can be used as a compass to show the direction towards sustainability. Accordingly, the feasibility of combinng the concept of sustainabiliry principles and LCA for product development was examined and discussed. This combination was found to yield a simplified method well suited for screening analysis and product development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andersson, K. (1998): Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Food Products and Production Systems. Dissertation, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, K.;Ohlsson, T. andOlsson, P. (1994): Life cycle assessment (LCA) of food products and production systems. Trends Food Sci. & Techn. 5, 134–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, K.;Ohlsson, T. andOlsson, P. (1998a): Screening Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of tomato ketchup: a case study. J. Cleaner Prod. 6, 277–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, K.;Høgaas Eide, M.;Lundqvist, U. andMattsson, B. (1998b): The feasibility of including sustainability in LCA for product development. J. Cleaner Prod. 6, 289–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, K. andOhlsson, T. (1999a): Including Environmental Aspects in Production Development: A Case Study of Tomato Ketchup wtl, 32, 134–141

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, K. andOhlsson, T. (1999b): Life Cycle Assessment of Bread Produced on Different Scales. Int. J. LCA 4, 25–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borgström, G. (1971): Brännpunkter, Bokförlaget Trevi AB. Stockholm, Sweden (In Swedish)

  • Carlsson-Kanyama, A. (1998): Climate Change and Dietary Choices: how can emissions of greenhouse gases from food consumption be reduced? Food Policy 23, 277–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forbrugerstyrelsen (1996): Miljøbelastningen ved familiens aktiviteter, Resultater fra en kortlaegning af ressourceforbrug og udledninger til miljøet fra 22 aktiviteter i en modelfamilie, Rapport 1996.1, I/S ØkoAnalyse for Forbrugerstyrelsen og Miljøstyrelsen, Copenhagen, Denmark (In Danish)

  • Holmberg, J.;Robèrt, K.-H. andEriksson, K.-E. (1996): Socio-Ecological Principles for a Sustainable Society: Scientific Background and Swedish Experience. In: Costanza, R.; Olman, S. and Martinez-Alier, J. (Eds.): Getting Down to Earth: Practical Applications for Ecological Economics, Island Press, Washington, USA, pp. 17–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Høgass Eide, M. (1998): Livsløpsanalyse for transport og produks-jon av søt konsummelk. SIK-Rapport Nr 639, SIK, Gothenburg, Sweden (In Norwegian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Johannisson, V. andOlsson, P. (1997): Energiåtgång vid mat-beredning i hemmet, Energiåtgång från jord till bord för råvara, hel- och halvfabrikat. SIK, Gothenburg, Sweden (In Swedish)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jungbluth, N. (2000): Umweltfolgen des Nahrungsmittelkonsums: Beurteilung von Produktmerkmalen auf Grundlage einer modularen ökobilanz. Dissertation, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich, Switzerland (In German)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann, H.;Pareyke, R.;Pfugler, A. andReetz, T. (1995): Land use, Wuppertal Institute for Climate. Environment and Energy, Wuppertal, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindeijer, E.;van Kampen, M.;Fraanje, P.;van Dobben, H.;Nabuurs, G.-J.;Schouwenberg, E.;Prins, D. andDankers, N. (1998): Biodiversity and life support indicators for land use impacts in LCA. IVAM ER Amsterdam, IBN-DLO Wageningen and Texel, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindfors, L.-G.;Christiansen, K.;Hoffman, L.;Virtanen, Y.;Juntilla, V.;Hanssen, O.-J.;Rønning, A.;Ekvall, T. andFinnveden, G. (1995): Nordic Guidelines on Life-Cycle Assessment. Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Google Scholar 

  • Mattsson, B.;Cederberg, C. andLjung, M. (1998): Principles for Environmental Assessment of Land Use in Agriculture. SIK-Re-port No. 642, SIK, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller, H. (1997): Livsløpsanalyse ved kjøttproduksjon, Samlerapport ved norsk kjøttproduksjon, Report No. OR 54.97, STØ, Fredrikstad, Norway (In Norwegian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller, H. andHøgaas, M. (1997): Livsløpsanalyse ved produksjon av kjøtt og melk, en vurdering av kombinert melk/kjøttproduksjon og selvrekrutterende kjøttproduksjon. Report No. OR 53.97, STØ, Fredrikstad, Norway (In Norwegian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Peter, D. (1996): Case study “Feldschlösschen”, In: Schaltegger, S. (Ed.) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) — Quo vadis? Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, Switzerland, pp. 95–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Sas, H.;van der Voet, E.;Corten, F.G.P.;Heule, R. andKlein, R. (1997): Extraction of biotic resources: development of a methodology for incorporation in LCAs with case studies on timber and fish. Nr 1997/30, Ministerie van Volkshuisvesting, Ruimtelijke Ordering en Mileubeheer, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Probst, B. (1998): ökologische Beurteilung unterschiedlicher Produktionssysteme von Brot unter besonderer Berücksichtigung Regionaler Produktion: Ein Vergleich auf Basis der ökobilan-zierung. Diplomarbeit, Universität Bern, Swizerland (in German)

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, R.P. (Ed.) (1986): Energy in Food Processing. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Stadig, M. (1997): Livscykelanalys av äppelproduktion — fallstudier för Sverige, Nya Zeeland och Frankrike. SIK-Rapport Nr 630, SIK, Gothenburg, Sweden (In Swedish)

    Google Scholar 

  • Uhlin, H.-E. (1997): Energiflöden i livsmedelskedjan — System-studien för ett miljöanpassat och uthålligt jordbruk. Rapport 4732, Narurvårdsverket, Stockholm, Sweden (In Swedish)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wackernagel, M. andRees, W. (1996): Our Ecological Footprint, Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. The New Catalyst Bioregional Series, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  • Weidema, B. P.;Pedersen, R. andDrivsholm, T.S. (1995): Life Cycle Screening of Food Products — Two Examples and some Methodological Proposals. Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, Lyngby, Denmark

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilting, H. (1996): An energy perspective on economic activities. Dissertation, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIT Ekologik, Chalmers Teknikpark, SE-412 88, Goteborg, Sweden

    Karin Andersson

Authors
  1. Karin Andersson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karin Andersson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Andersson, K. LCA of food products and production systems. Int. J. LCA 5, 239–248 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02979367

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02979367

Keywords

Search

Navigation