engleski

Scientific Challenges in Performing Life-Cycle Assessment in the Food Supply Chain

This paper gives an overview of scientific challenges that occur when performing life- cycle assessment (LCA) in the food supply chain. In order to evaluate these risks, the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis tool has been used. Challenges related to setting the goal and scope of LCA revealed four hot spots: system boundaries of LCA ; used functional units ; type and quality of data categories, and main assumptions and limitations of the study. Within the inventory analysis, challenging issues are associated with allocation of material and energy flows and waste streams released to the environment. Impact assessment brings uncertainties in choosing appropriate environmental impacts. Finally, in order to interpret results, a scientifically sound sensitivity analysis should be performed to check how stable calculations and results are. Identified challenges pave the way for improving LCA of food supply chains in order to enable comparison of results.

life-cycle assessment ; food supply chain ; system boundaries ; functional units ; sensitivity

Inozemne institucije koautora na radu: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Serbia ; Institute of Food Technology, University of Novi Sad, Serbia ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Thiverval-Grignon, France