Assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in the food industry

Aim of this work was to point out the main direct environmental impacts (i. e., waste generation, water use, and energy use) of the food industry, as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the agro-food system in industrialised countries. Based on GHG inventories and technical literature, agricultural production appears to be the hotspot in the life cycle of food products. Several life cycle assessment procedures, such as the Carbon Footprint (CF), Bilan Carbone (R), Environmental Product Declaration (R), are currently available and can help to identify more sustainable options. The available CF data were used to show how the so called Mediterranean-type diet might promote sustainable lifestyles in the developed countries with a more favourable impact on the environment and health. A progressive approach to food sustainability was also outlined.