LCA Food 2012 in Saint Malo, France! - Manifestations et colloques ...

GROUP 6, SESSION B: METHODS, TOOLS, DATABASES 8 th Int. Conference on LCA in the
Agri-Food Sector, 1-4 Oct 2012
154. Availability and completeness of LCI of cereal products and
related databases
Evelyne Laurent, Roberto Bellino, Stéphane Le Pochat *
EVEA, 56 Bd de la Fraternité, 44100 Nantes, France, Corresponding author. E-mail: s.lepochat@eveaconseil.com
In 2011, EVEA carried out a study on behalf of Intercéréales (Inter-branch association of the French cereal
sector). The aim of this study was first to analyse the different product labelling systems of cereals products
around the world, and second to analyse available data in existing LCI databases, regarding cereals (wheat,
barley, maize, sorghum, rice and rye) and cereal-containing products.
The study provided information on the existing databases that contain LCI of cereals and cereals-containing
products. The analysis was conducted on ten French and international databases, eight of which include cereals-related
data (ecoinvent, DiaTerre, LCA Food, Bilan Carbone ® , AUSLCI, CPM Database, USLCI, and
Agri-Footprint; Probas and BUWAL 250 do not include cereals-related data).
Each database was analysed by gathering general information (country, public or private status) and a description
of the available data in the cereals sector. The following data are to be found in the databases: raw
materials, inputs, processes, and cereal-based finished products (Table 1, Fig. 1).
The ecoinvent Database is by far the most complete database, with Swiss and European data for agricultural
raw materials, inputs and processes. Data about some cereals-based finished products can be found in the
LCA Food Database (wheat, bread, pastries, oat flakes) and in the French Bilan Carbone ® database. However,
very little data can be found in the databases about agricultural processes, food industry processes, storage
or mass-market retailing, and the lack of data makes it difficult to implement an environmental labelling
of cereal-based products based on present data available. Only ecoinvent Database and LCA Food Database
provide specific geographic data: Swiss data in ecoinvent and Danish data in the LCA Food Database. The
existing databases lack specific French data.
The study raised the issue of methodological comparability: all databases set their own hypothesis and methodological
rules (allocation, cut-off rules…) and major differences can be found between data from different
databases.
For example, the allocation method is not the same in all major databases. Among two of the main databases
for cereals products, the ecoinvent database resorts to economic allocation whereas the LCA Food Database
uses substitution (avoided impacts). As a consequence, for example, the impact of one kg of wheat, which is
evaluated in 5 different databases, ranges from 0,401 kg CO2 eq. (USLCI) to 0,959 kg CO2 eq. (CPM Database),
but this variability cannot be explained solely by obvious differences in yield, agricultural techniques
or climate. This variability makes it difficult to implement an environmental labelling of cereal-based products
with sufficient accuracy and comparability.
This study lead to the conclusion that existing databases cannot be used as a strong and detailed basis about
cereal product environmental labelling. Two major programs have been launched in France in order to collect
data for the environmental assessment of agricultural-based products:
Agri-Balyse for the creation of French average data about the environmental impacts of agricultural
productions.
Acyvia about the impacts of agri-food transformation processes.
The conclusion of the Intercéréales study is that its members should take part in the Acyvia project in order
to improve the completeness of the data about their products.
References
Abelmann, A. 2005. Environmental Potential of Increased Human Consumption of Grain Legumes: An LCA
of food products. Report No. 2005:10.
Blonk, H. et al. 2011. The Agri-footprint method Methodological LCA framework - assumptions and applied
data. Report Agri FootPrint
Nemecek, T., Kägi, T., 2007. Life Cycle Inventories of Swiss and European Agricultural Production Systems.
Final report, Ecoinvent v2.0, No. 15a, September 2007.
LCA Food Database, 2007. www.lcafood.dk.
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