Food’s environmental impacts are created by millions of diverse producers. To identify solutions that are effective under this heterogeneity, we consolidated data covering five environmental indicators; 38,700 farms; and 1600 processors, packaging types, and retailers. Impact can vary 50-fold among producers of the same product, creating substantial mitigation opportunities. However, mitigation is complicated by trade-offs, multiple ways for producers to achieve low impacts, and interactions throughout the supply chain. Producers have limits on how far they can reduce impacts. Most strikingly, impacts of the lowest-impact animal products typically exceed those of vegetable substitutes, providing new evidence for the importance of dietary change. Cumulatively, our findings support an approach where producers monitor their own impacts, flexibly meet environmental targets by choosing from multiple practices, and communicate their impacts to consumers.

/pdf/reducing-food-s-environmental-impacts-through-producers-and-2xmi5ihk3n.pdf

Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers

New developments in recirculating aquaculture systems in Europe: A perspective on environmental sustainability

https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/61956/1/WRAP_Cinelli_1-s2.0-S1470160X14002647-main.pdf

Analysis of the potentials of multi criteria decision analysis methods to conduct sustainability assessment

European citizen and consumer attitudes and preferences regarding beef and pork.

/pdf/safe-a-hierarchical-framework-for-assessing-the-4ct8ldr096.pdf

SAFE--A hierarchical framework for assessing the sustainability of agricultural systems

Evaluation of the environmental impact of agriculture at the farm level: a comparison and analysis of 12 indicator-based methods

Understanding the environmental burdens associated with aquafeeds is a critical component for assessing and improving the environmental performance of aquaculture. The aim of the study was to assess the environmental impacts associated with feeds for rainbow trout production in France, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The stages assessed are: the extraction of the raw materials, the production and transformation of the primary ingredients used, the manufacturing of the feeds, the use of the feeds at the farm, transport at all stages, and the production and use of energy resources. The assessment revealed that the use of fishery resources (such as biotic resource use) and nutrient emissions at the farm (such as eutrophication potential) contribute most to the potential environmental impacts of salmonid aquafeeds. Improvements in feed composition and management practices seem to be the best ways for improving the environmental profile of aquafeeds.

https://bioone.org/journals/AMBIO-A-Journal-of-the-Human-Environment/volume-33/issue-6/0044-7447-33.6.316/Environmental-Impact-Assessment-of-Salmonid-Feeds-Using-Life-Cycle-Assessment/10.1579/0044-7447-33.6.316.pdf

Environmental Impact Assessment of Salmonid Feeds Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

The environmental impacts of the production of concentrated feed: the case of pig feed in Bretagne

The control and prevention of nutrient pollution from fish farming plays an essential role in the French regulatory framework. Assessing nutrient emissions from fish farms is important in terms of farm authorization, taxation, and monitoring. Currently employed strategies involve both water sampling and empirical modeling. This article reports the work and outcomes of an expert panel that evaluated existing methodologies and their possible alternatives. The development and evaluation of a nutrient-balance approach was assessed as a potential alternative to currently used methodologies. A previously described nutrient-balance model was suggested and parameterized using expert choice, and its validity and applicability were assessed. The results stress that the nutrient-balance model provides more robust and relatively conservative waste estimates compared to the currently used methodologies. Sensitivity of the approach to the uneven data quality available at farm level, difficulties of on-farm measurements, as well as model requirements and limitations are discussed.

Jean Petit

Papers

Evaluation of the environmental impact of agriculture at the farm level: a comparison and analysis of 12 indicator-based methods

Environmental Impact Assessment of Salmonid Feeds Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

The environmental impacts of the production of concentrated feed: the case of pig feed in Bretagne

Nutrient-Balance Modeling as a Tool for Environmental Management in Aquaculture: The Case of Trout Farming in France

Perception of the environmental impacts of current and alternative modes of pig production by stakeholder groups.