Life cycle and circularity metrics to measure the sustainability of closed-loop agri-food pathways

Abstract

This work aims to present a methodological proposal based on Life Cycle (LC) methodologies, and circularity performance indicators, to assess closed-loop pathways by providing comprehensive results on economic and environmental impacts generated by agri-food production systems. The methodological approach will be tested on olive oil production systems, one of the most important agri-food chains for Mediterranean countries, whose import and export significance is set to grow in light of the shrinking market supply of seed oils. Some insights for the co-products valorization are provided through the evaluation of the reuse of by-products as a possible resource capable to improve the sustainability of the olive oil farms. The integrated application of three different methodologies, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Life Cycle Costing (ELCC) and Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), enabled comparative evaluation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) production under a linear production model with production under a circular model. The circular scenario was better in most environmental impact categories, registering an improvement in Global Warming Potential (GWP) of nearly 30%. In economic terms, there was a lower production cost for the circular scenario and a lower environmental cost by reducing the use of synthetic products through the reuse of waste products. The circular scenario recorded a higher degree of circularity due to a reduction in virgin raw materials used in the production process and a reduction in non-recoverable waste. The implementation of circular strategies represents one of the possible trajectories to guide the ecological transition, and the proposed methodological framework can support the decisions of both producers and public decision-makers toward more sustainable and efficient production patterns.

Sustainable food. Production and consumption perspectives

“…However, introducing LCA as a process of evaluating the environmental impact of the assessed product over the entire life cycle does not allow for assessing the effects in terms of circularity, both concerning the product that has generated waste and by-products as well as the product that will use them to work out new products (Rocchi et al, 2021;Silvestri et al, 2022;. The solution for introducing the sustainability aspects may be to match the life cycle of the product whose circularity will be assessed with the life cycle of the product whose environmental impacts will be assessed, integrating circular strategies within system boundaries (Falcone et al, 2022). It is equally important to note that the sustainability aspects cover three spheres of environmental, economic and social impacts.…”

A primer on predictive techniques for food and bioresources transformation processes

“…Likewise, as needs evolve, it will sometimes be more reasonable to start with a new simple model rather than complexify a previous one. The so-called take-make-dispose paradigm in the agri-food sector has several limitations, including environmental degradation, resource depletion, health and safety concerns, and socioeconomic impacts (Esposito et al, 2020;Falcone et al, 2022). Innovation toward circularity involves collaboration between stakeholders (Bloise, 2019), policy changes, technological advancements, changes in consumer behavior, and business models shift (De Bernardi et al, 2022).…”

A methodological proposal of the Sustainolive international research project to drive Mediterranean olive ecosystems toward sustainability

“…Total revenues were calculated for the whole life cycles of STS and non-STS farms, taking into account current market prices, and including EU CAP subsidies when applicable; they allowed analyzing the efficiency of investments through the following indicators and their formulas calculated for the Functional Unit of 1 kg of olives (Falcone et al, 2022) The discount rate considered represented an opportunity cost, i.e., the alternative investments with similar risks and at the same times were used; furthermore, during the life cycle, constant prices were taken into account while excluding adjustments for inflation (De Luca et al, 2018;Falcone et al, 2022).…”