IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2022i1p718-d1021228.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Life Cycle Assessment Tool for Food Supply Chain Environmental Evaluation

Author

Listed:
  • Tamíris Pacheco da Costa

    (School of Biosystems & Food Engineering, University College Dublin, Agriculture Building, UCD Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

  • James Gillespie

    (School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Magee Campus, Ulster University, Northland Road, Londonderry BT48 7JL, UK)

  • Katarzyna Pelc

    (Bedfordshire Business School, University of Bedfordshire, Putteridge Bury, R. 220, Hitchin Road, Luton LU2 8LE, UK)

  • Abi Adefisan

    (Yumchop Foods, Westward, Brackley Road, Towcester NN12 6HX, UK)

  • Michael Adefisan

    (Yumchop Foods, Westward, Brackley Road, Towcester NN12 6HX, UK)

  • Ramakrishnan Ramanathan

    (Essex Business School, University of Essex, Southend Campus, Elmer Approach, Southend-on-Sea, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK)

  • Fionnuala Murphy

    (School of Biosystems & Food Engineering, University College Dublin, Agriculture Building, UCD Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

Abstract

Food is at the centre of efforts to combat climate change, reduce water stress, pollution, and conserve the world’s wildlife. Assessing the environmental performance of food companies is essential to provide a comprehensive view of the production processes and gain insight into improvement options, but such a tool is currently non-existent in the literature. This study proposed a tool based on the life cycle assessment methodology focused on six stages of the food chain, raw materials acquisition, supplier, manufacturing, distribution, retail and wastes. The user can also evaluate the implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to reduce food waste applied in the real-world problems. The tool was validated through a case study of a food manufacturing company that prepares frozen meals via vending machines. The LCA results provided by the tool showed that food raw materials production is the main hotspot of nine impact categories. The IoT technologies’ contribution increased the company’s impact by around 0.4%. However, it is expected that employing these monitoring technologies would prevent food waste generation and the associated environmental impacts. Therefore, the results of this paper provide evidence that the proposed tool is suitable for determining environmental impacts and savings of food supply chain companies.

Suggested Citation

  • Tamíris Pacheco da Costa & James Gillespie & Katarzyna Pelc & Abi Adefisan & Michael Adefisan & Ramakrishnan Ramanathan & Fionnuala Murphy, 2022. "Life Cycle Assessment Tool for Food Supply Chain Environmental Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-24, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:718-:d:1021228
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/1/718/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/1/718/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cattaneo, Andrea & Federighi, Giovanni & Vaz, Sara, 2021. "The environmental impact of reducing food loss and waste: A critical assessment," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    2. Rosalinda Nicastro & Petronia Carillo, 2021. "Food Loss and Waste Prevention Strategies from Farm to Fork," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Zhibo Pang & Qiang Chen & Weili Han & Lirong Zheng, 2015. "Value-centric design of the internet-of-things solution for food supply chain: Value creation, sensor portfolio and information fusion," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 289-319, April.
    4. Na Yang & Fangling Li & Yang Liu & Tao Dai & Qiao Wang & Jiebao Zhang & Zhiguang Dai & Boping Yu, 2022. "Environmental and Economic Life-Cycle Assessments of Household Food Waste Management Systems: A Comparative Review of Methodology and Research Progress," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-19, June.
    5. António A. Martins & Marta Simaria & Joaquim Barbosa & Ricardo Barbosa & Daniela T. Silva & Cristina S. Rocha & Teresa M. Mata & Nídia S. Caetano, 2018. "Life cycle assessment tool of electricity generation in Portugal," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 129-143, December.
    6. Sandeep Jagtap & Chintan Bhatt & Jaydeep Thik & Shahin Rahimifard, 2019. "Monitoring Potato Waste in Food Manufacturing Using Image Processing and Internet of Things Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-12, June.
    7. Ching-Hsu Huang & Shih-Min Liu & Nai-Yun Hsu, 2020. "Understanding Global Food Surplus and Food Waste to Tackle Economic and Environmental Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, April.
    8. Davide Rovelli & Carlo Brondi & Michele Andreotti & Elisabetta Abbate & Maurizio Zanforlin & Andrea Ballarino, 2022. "A Modular Tool to Support Data Management for LCA in Industry: Methodology, Application and Potentialities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-31, March.
    9. Yu-Ling Lin & Hong-Wen Lin, 2014. "Have You Switched to a Low-Carbon Diet? The Ultimate Value of Low-Carbon Consumerism," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-15, April.
    10. Peter Scarborough & Paul Appleby & Anja Mizdrak & Adam Briggs & Ruth Travis & Kathryn Bradbury & Timothy Key, 2014. "Dietary greenhouse gas emissions of meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans in the UK," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 125(2), pages 179-192, July.
    11. Marie Nehasilová & Antonín Lupíšek & Petra Lupíšková Coufalová & Tomáš Kupsa & Jakub Veselka & Barbora Vlasatá & Julie Železná & Pavla Kunová & Martin Volf, 2022. "Rapid Environmental Assessment of Buildings: Linking Environmental and Cost Estimating Databases," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-20, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. James Gillespie & Tamíris Pacheco da Costa & Xavier Cama-Moncunill & Trevor Cadden & Joan Condell & Tom Cowderoy & Elaine Ramsey & Fionnuala Murphy & Marco Kull & Robert Gallagher & Ramakrishnan Raman, 2023. "Real-Time Anomaly Detection in Cold Chain Transportation Using IoT Technology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-24, January.
    2. Dimitrie Stoica & Angela-Eliza Micu & Maricica Stoica, 2022. "The Impact of Economic Drivers on Food Loss Management," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(1), pages 753-761, September.
    3. Xiongnan Jin & Sejin Chun & Jooik Jung & Kyong-Ho Lee, 0. "A fast and scalable approach for IoT service selection based on a physical service model," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-16.
    4. Rose Daphnee Tchonkouang & Helen Onyeaka & Taghi Miri, 2023. "From Waste to Plate: Exploring the Impact of Food Waste Valorisation on Achieving Zero Hunger," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-21, July.
    5. Teea Kortetmäki & Markku Oksanen, 2021. "Is there a convincing case for climate veganism?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 729-740, September.
    6. Mervenur Özel & Diana Bogueva & Dora Marinova & Ismail Hakki Tekiner, 2022. "Climate Change Knowledge and Awareness of Nutrition Professionals: A Case Study from Turkey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-13, March.
    7. Mona Haji & Laoucine Kerbache & Mahaboob Muhammad & Tareq Al-Ansari, 2020. "Roles of Technology in Improving Perishable Food Supply Chains," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-24, December.
    8. Menrad, K. & Emberger-Klein, A. & Schops, J., 2018. "Factors influencing consumers behavioral intention towards climate-friendly food consumption in Southern Germany," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277108, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. Ghannouchi, Imen, 2023. "Examining the dynamic nexus between industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable economy: New insights from empirical evidence using GMM estimator across 20 OECD nations," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    10. Helen Harwatt & Joan Sabaté & Gidon Eshel & Sam Soret & William Ripple, 2017. "Substituting beans for beef as a contribution toward US climate change targets," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 261-270, July.
    11. Wansoo Kim & Chen Che & Chul Jeong, 2022. "Food Waste Reduction from Customers’ Plates: Applying the Norm Activation Model in South Korean Context," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, January.
    12. Christoph Stoiber & Stefan Schönig, 2024. "Leveraging the industrial internet of things for business process improvement: a metamodel and patterns," Information Systems and e-Business Management, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 285-313, June.
    13. Boehm, Rebecca & Wilde, Parke E. & Ver Ploeg, Michele & Costello, Christine & Cash, Sean B., 2018. "A Comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Household Food Choices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 67-76.
    14. Mariarosaria Lombardi & Marco Costantino, 2021. "A Hierarchical Pyramid for Food Waste Based on a Social Innovation Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, April.
    15. Perino, Grischa & Schwirplies, Claudia, 2022. "Meaty arguments and fishy effects: Field experimental evidence on the impact of reasons to reduce meat consumption," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    16. Jennifer A. Jay & Raffaella D’Auria & J. Cully Nordby & David Andy Rice & David A. Cleveland & Anthony Friscia & Sophie Kissinger & Marc Levis & Hannah Malan & Deepak Rajagopal & Joel R. Reynolds & We, 2019. "Reduction of the carbon footprint of college freshman diets after a food-based environmental science course," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 547-564, June.
    17. Luo, Na & Olsen, Tava & Liu, Yanping & Zhang, Abraham, 2022. "Reducing food loss and waste in supply chain operations," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    18. Ramakrishnan Ramanathan & Yanqing Duan & Tahmina Ajmal & Katarzyna Pelc & James Gillespie & Sahar Ahmadzadeh & Joan Condell & Imke Hermens & Usha Ramanathan, 2023. "Motivations and Challenges for Food Companies in Using IoT Sensors for Reducing Food Waste: Some Insights and a Road Map for the Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, January.
    19. Ghada Talat Alhothali & Noha M. Almoraie & Israa M. Shatwan & Najlaa M. Aljefree, 2021. "Sociodemographic Characteristics and Dietary Choices as Determinants of Climate Change Understanding and Concern in Saudi Arabia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-14, October.
    20. Xiongnan Jin & Sejin Chun & Jooik Jung & Kyong-Ho Lee, 2017. "A fast and scalable approach for IoT service selection based on a physical service model," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 1357-1372, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:718-:d:1021228. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.