Category-Level Product Environmental Footprints of FoodsRecommendations for Further Evaluation
Report No. CSS16-03February 25, 2016
Martin Heller, Tara Narayanan, Robert Meyer, and Gregory Keoleian
1FoodCommodityRecommendations
1. IntroductionClimate,soilsandtopographymakefoodproductioninthestatesofOregonandWashingtonavaluableanddiverseeconomicsector.Tables1&3,below,indicatethetoprankingagriculturalcommoditiesinOregonandWashington,respectively.Inaddition,OregonandWashingtonrankasdominantU.S.producersofanumberofuniquecrops,asseeninTables2&4,makingtheirproductionpracticesrelevantnotonlylocallybuttonationalandinternationalconsumersaswell.Foodproductioncontributessignificantlytoenvironmentalconcerns,andbyextension,offerspotentialforsignificantimprovement.ProductionofthefoodconsumedintheU.S.accountsforontheorderof10%ofthecountry’stotalin-boundarygreenhousegasemissions1.Foodandbeveragescontributecloseto15%ofOregon’sconsumption-basedgreenhousegasemissions.Figure1demonstratesthecontributionbyvariousfoodsectorstothe7.9millionmetrictonsofCO2-eqattributabletofoodandbeverageconsumption(excludingrestaurants)inOregonin2014.Theseimpactsincludenotonlytheagriculturalproductionoffood,butalsocontributionsfromprocessing,distribution,andstorage.ItisimportanttonotethattheseemissionsareduetofoodandbeveragesconsumedbyOregonians,andonlyanestimated20%ofthemoccurduetoin-stateactivities.Figure2Figure3servetobetterdescribethespecificfoodsthatmakeupthehighlyaggregatedsectorsof“fruits&vegetables”and“meats”intheOregonConsumption-BasedEmissionInventory.Thesefiguresarebasedonpercapitanationalfoodavailability,combinedwithemissionfactorsforindividualfoodtypes1.Makingreductionsintheenvironmentalfootprintofsupplyingfoodrequiresanunderstandingofthesourcesofcurrentimpacts,alongwithguidanceastowhere
1Heller,M.C.andG.A.Keoleian(2014)."GreenhouseGasEmissionEstimatesofU.S.DietaryChoicesandFoodLoss."JournalofIndustrialEcology19(3):391-401.
STATEMENTOFWORK:
Reviewandrecommendationsoffoodtypesforfurtherresearch:Contractorwillprepareaseparatedocumentcontainingitsrecommendationsforwhichfoodtypes(commodities)to
studyinfurtherdetail.Forthepurposeofthiscontract,“commodity”isdefinednotonlyasa
farm-leveloutputbutratherasadistincttypeoffoodproduct.Forexample,“fluidmilk”(foruse
inmakingfoodproductsorfinalconsumptioninfluidform)isacommodity,while“yogurt”,“ice
cream”and“cheese”areseparatecommodities.Contractormayproposemorefoodtypesthan
budgetallows,andcontractormayrankorgroupcommodities(forexample“highpriority”,
“mediumpriority”,and“notrecommended”).Ataminimum,tencommoditieswillbe
recommendedas“highpriority”withatleastfouradditionalcommoditiesidentifiedas
contingencies.Recommendationswillbebasedonthequalityofenvironmentalinformation
available(basedontheresultsofliteraturescan),givingpreferencetohighvolumeproducts
producedorpurchasedinthestatesofOregonandWashington,whilealsotakingintoaccount
theorganizationalstructureoftheagriculturalandfoodindustryaswellasinterestby
institutionalbuyers.
2FoodCommodityRecommendations
improvementeffortsshouldfocusformaximumeffectiveness.Theseanswersaren’talwaysintuitive.Forexample,aUSDAanalysisofenergyuseintheU.S.foodsystemfoundthattransportationrepresentedonlyabout3.5%theenergyusedintheU.S.foodsystemin2002,whereashouseholdactivities(refrigeration,cooking)contributed28%2.Similarly,researchersatCarnegieMellonfoundthattransportationasawholerepresentsonly11%oflife-cyclegreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwiththeU.S.foodsystem,withfinaldeliveryfromproducertoretailcontributingonly4%3.Bothofthesestudiesariseoutoflifecycleassessmentprinciples.Theobjectiveofthecurrentprojectistohighlightthosestagesofthelifecycleofindividualfoodcommoditiesthatcontributesignificantlytooverallenvironmentalimpacts(“hotspots”),toevaluateopportunitiestoreduceenvironmentalimpacts,andtoidentifyattributesandcharacteristicsofindividualfoodcommoditiesthataremeaningfulpredictorsofreducedenvironmentalimpact.Thiswillbedonethroughaseriesofsummaryreportscapturingwhatisknownabouttheenvironmentalimpactsofspecificfoodsorfoodcommodities,basedlargelyonreviewoftheLCAliterature,butdrawingfromotherscientificfieldsaswell.Thepurposeofthecurrentdocumentistorecommendthespecificcommoditiestofocusonforfurtherevaluation,aswellastoengagestakeholderstoofferfeedbackontheserecommendations.
2Canning,P.;Charles,A.;Huang,S.;Polenske,K.R.;Waters,A.EnergyuseintheUSfoodsystem;ERR-94;U.S.Dept.ofAgri.,Econ.Res.Serv.:2010.http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/136418/err94_1_.pdf3Weber,C.L.andH.S.Matthews(2008)."Food-milesandtherelativeclimateimpactsoffoodchoicesintheunitedstates."EnvironmentalScience&Technology42(10):3508-3513.
3FoodCommodityRecommendations
4
4OregonDepartmentofAgriculture,“OregonAgricultureFactsandFigures”,July,2015.http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/shared/Documents/Publications/Administration/ORAgFactsFigures.pdf.
Table1.Oregon’stop20AgriculturalCommodities:20144(grayshadedcommodities
willnotbeconsideredinthisphaseoftheproject)
Table2.NationalRankingofOregonAgriculturalProduction:20144(grayshadedcommoditieswillnotbe
consideredinthisphaseoftheproject)
Commodity Ranking
amongstates
PercentofUS
production
Blackberries 1 100%
Boysenberries 1 100%
Hazelnuts 1 100%
Raspberries,black 1 100%
Ryegrassseed 1 92%
Orchardgrassseed 1 94%
Crimsonclover 1 85%
Fescueseed 1 61%
Sugarbeetsforseed 1 47%
Redcloverseed 1 75%
Pottedfloristazeleas 1 59%
Onions,storage 1 22%
Christmastrees 1 17%
Peppermint 2 32%
Sweetcherries 2 16%
Hops 2 12%
Dungenesscrab 3 27%
Pears 3 26%
Kentuckybluegrassseed 3 20%
Austrianwinterpeas 3 16%
Nurserystock 3 11%
Snapbeans,processing 3 5%
Raspberries,red 3 2%
Strawberries 3 1%
Garlic 3 <1%
Blueberries 4 15%
Greenpeas 4 11%
Mink 4 8%
Cranberries 4 6%
Winegrapes 4 1%
Rank Commodity Value-Dollar
1 Cattle&calves 922,031,000
2 Greenhouse&nursery 829,909,000
3 Hay 703,080,000
4 Milk 656,635,000
5 Grassseed 449,018,000
6 Wheat 302,056,000
7 Potatoes 164,703,000
8 Hazelnuts 129,600,000
9 Pears 127,392,000
10 Grapesforwine 118,320,000
11 Onions 106,334,000
12 ChristmasTrees 103,777,000
13 Blueberries 102,325,000
14 Cherries 82,709,000
15 Eggs 65,781,000
16 Mint,foroil 51,433,000
17 Blackberries 50,133,000
18 Crab 47,980,000
19 SweetCorn 45,121,000
20 Apples 42,240,000
4FoodCommodityRecommendations
5
5USDANASS,“ValueofWashington’s2013AgriculturalProductionSurpassesTenBillionDollars,”January26,2015.http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Washington/Publications/Current_News_Release/2015/VOP_2014.pdf
CommodityRanking
amongstates
percentofUS
production
Redraspberries 1 93
Hops 1 79
Spearmintoil 1 73
Wrinkledseedpeas 1 60
Apples 1 57
Sweetcherries 1 51
Pears 1 50
Grapes,concord 1 37
Carrots,processing 1 37
Greenpeas,processing 1 34
Peppermintoil 1 31
Sweetcorn,Processing 2 25
Potatoes 2 24
Onions 2 21
Apricots 2 11
Nectarines 2 8
Grapes,all 2 5
Asparagus 3 25
Lentils 3 19
Grapes,Niagra 3 19
Prunesandplums 3 18
Blueberries 3 15
Dryediblepeas 3 12
Tartcherries 3 6
Barley 4 7
Wheat 4 7
Cranberries 5 2
Strawberries 5 0
Dryediblebeans 6 9
Peaches,freestone 7 2
Milk 10 3
Table3.Washington’stop10AgriculturalCommodities:20135(grayshadedcommodities
willnotbeconsideredinthisphaseoftheproject)
Table4.NationalRankingofWashingtonAgriculturalProduction:20135(grayshadedcommodities
willnotbeconsideredinthisphaseoftheproject)Rank Commodity Value-Dollars
1 Apples 2,189,095,000
2 Milk 1,298,880,000
3 Wheat 1,014,032,000
4 Potatoes 792,000,000
5 Cattleandcalves 706,447,000
6 Hay 675,050,000
7 Cherries 385,198,000
8 Grapes 278,640,000
9 Pears 225,392,000
10 Hops 202,101,000
5FoodCommodityRecommendations
Fluidmilkandbutter49%
Cheese29%
Dry,condensed,
andevaporateddairyproduct18%
Icecreamandfrozendessert4%
Wetcornmilling7%
Fatsandoilsrekiningandblending18%
Sugarcanemillsandrekining
18%
Beetsugarmanufacturing
15%
Seasoninganddressing
manufacturing42%
Grainfarming6%
Treenutfarming4%
Flourmillingandmalt
manufacturing8%
Breakfastcereal
manufacturing6%
Confectionerymanufacturing
frompurchasedchocolate
7%Nonchocolateconfectionerymanufacturing
6%
Breadandbakeryproductmanufacturing
26%
Cookie,cracker,and
pastamanufacturing
13%
Tortillamanufacturing
2%
Snackfoodmanufacturing
22%
Coffeeandteamanufacturing
7%
Softdrinkandice
manufacturing56%
Breweries24%
Wineries10%
Distilleries3%
Meat&otheranimalproducts,exceptdairy,poultry&
eggs29%
Grains,BakedGoods,Cereals,Nuts
17%
Dairy13%
Beverages11%
FruitandVegetables
10%
PoultryandEggs8%
Condiments,OilsandSweeteners
4%
FrozenFood4%
OtherFoodandAgriculture
3% Seafood1%
Figure1.Foodconsumptioncontributestogreenhousegasemissionsthroughacombinationofthequantityof
foodsconsumedandtheemissionintensityofproducingagivenfood.Thisfigureshowsthepercentcontributions
ofdifferentfoodcategoriestothe“FoodandBeverages”portionofthe2014OregonConsumption-based
EmissionsInventory.
SeeFigure2
SeeFigure3
6FoodCommodityRecommendations
Figure2.ContributionsofvariousfruitsandvegetablestothegreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwithtotalU.S.
fruitandvegetablefoodsupply.Basedon2010retail-levelfoodavailabilityfromUSDA,andmethodspresentedin
HellerandKeoleian,20141.
Figure3.ContributionsofdifferentmeattypestothegreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwithtotalU.S.red
meat(i.e.,excludingpoultry)supply.Basedon2010retail-levelfoodavailabilityfromUSDA,andmethods
presentedinHellerandKeoleian,20141.
fruitjuices19%
freshbananas9%
cannedfruit3%
freshcitrus3%
freshapples1%
frozenfruit1%
freshavocados1%
watermelon1%
driedfruit1%
allotherfruit4%
cannedvegetables14%
frozenvegetables14%
headlettuce4%
tomatoes3%
romaine&leaflettuce3%
bellpeppers2%
onions2%
potatoes2%
processedanddehydratedveg
2%sweetcorn2%
allothervegetables
7%
beef82%
veal0%
pork17%
lamb1%
7FoodCommodityRecommendations
2. Selectioncriteria
WehaveattemptedtocombineourreviewofexistingLCAliteraturewithanappreciationoffoodproductionaswellasconsumptioninOregonandWashingtontorecommendacollectionofcommoditiesforfurtherresearchandsummaryreportdevelopment.Criteriaaccountedforintherecommendationsinclude:
• Productionconsiderations:o FoodcommoditiesproducedinlargevolumeinORand/orWA.o CommoditiesforwhichproductioninORand/orWArepresentalarge
fractionoftotalU.S.production.o CommoditiesforwhichtheenvironmentalimpactoftheirproductioninOR
andWAissignificant,basedonestimatedgreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwithon-farmproduction.
• Consumptionconsiderations:Foodsthatplayanimportantroleintheconsumption-basedemissionsofOR,and,byextension,WA.
• Dataavailabilityconsiderations:Foodcommoditiesand/orproductsforwhichtheavailableLCAliteratureisofsufficientquantityandqualitytooffersoundguidance.
• Diversityconsiderations:Foodsthatrepresentadiversityoffoodtypes,inordertodenotearangeofproductlifecyclesinthefinalsummarydocuments.Forexample,includingbothapples(ahardfruit)andraspberries(asoftfruit)maybewarrantedastheyrepresentverydifferenthandling,storageanddistributionproductchainsandmaythereforeprovidelessonstransferrabletootherfoodsoftheirtype.
Asthescopeofthisprojectislimitedtofoods,agriculturalcropsthatarenottypicallyfoodforhumans,suchasgrassandcloverseed(shadedgrayinTables1-4),werenotconsidered.Beefisnotrecommendedforfurtherevaluationinthecurrentphaseofthisprojectbasedinpartonhighvariabilityinproductionmethodsandassociatedenvironmentalimpacts.Inaddition,forcattlethatgrazeonrangelands(acommonproductionpracticeinOregon),theimpactsofgrazingonsoilcarboncanvarysignificantlyandsoilcarbonimpactslackclearstandardsforaccounting.Table5summarizesthescoringrubricusedtoarriveatrecommendedfoods.Foodsidentifiedasapotentialinterestforthisprojectweregivena0-5scoreineachoffourcategories,andarrangedbasedonthesumofthefourcategoricalscores.SubjectiverearrangementswerethenmadetoaccommodatethediversitycriteriaandtoaccountforLCAqualityscoresdeemedtoolowtowarrantfurtherresearch.Table6providesmoredetailedinformationonthefoodsproducedinlargequantitiesinORandWA,includingproductionquantityandvalueandacursoryestimateofthegreenhousegasemissionsattributabletothatproduction.ThisinformationledtothefirsttwocolumnsinthescoringrubricinTable5.Table7summarizesinformationonthequantityandqualityoftheLCAliteratureforconsideredfoodsasgatheredfromtheliteraturereview,andformsthebasisofthescoresinthethirdcolumnofTable5.Scoresinthefourthcolumn,consumptionimpact,arederivedfromthedistributionsinFigures1-3.BriefjustificationsforrecommendedfoodsfollowinSection3.
8FoodCommodityRecommendations
Table5.Summaryofscoringrubricandfoodsrecommendedforfurtherresearch.Higher
scoresarebetter.Thefirst15foodsarerecommendedasviableoptionsforproductfootprint
summaries.
Production
value
Production
impact*LCAdata
quality
Consumption
impact*Diversity
(foodtype)
1 Dairyanddairy
products
5 5 5 5 dairy
2 Wheatand
bread†5 5 5 4 Grain
3 Apples 5 4 5 2 Pomefruit
4 Potatoesand
products
4 5 4 2 Vegetable
5 Eggs 3 4 4 3 Egg
6 Wine 4 3 3 3 Beverage
7 Pork 1 2 5 4 Meat
8 Citrusfruits&
juices
0 0 5 3 Citrusfruit
9 Freshwater
Aquaculture
2 N/A 3 1 Fish
10 Raspberries 2 1 2 1 Softfruit
11 Pears 4 3 3 1 Pomefruit
12 Chicken N/A N/A 3 5 Meat
13 Hazelnuts 2 2 2 1 Nut
14 Bananas 0 0 4 3 Tropical
fruit
15 Tomatoes N/A N/A 5 2 Vegetable
16 Onions 3 4 1 2 Vegetable
17 Cherries,sweet 4 3 2 1 Stonefruit
18 Blueberries 3 2 2 1 Softfruit
19 Greenpeas(for
processing)
1 2 2 1 Processing
vegetable
20 Snapbeans,
processing
1 2 2 1 Processing
vegetable
21 Strawberries 1 1 3 1 Softfruit
22 Garlic 1 1 1 1 Vegetable
23 Carrots(for
processing)
N/A N/A 2 1 Processing
vegetable*“impact”isestimatedhereintermsoftherelativecontributiontostate-levelgreenhousegas
emissions.†mayincludeotherwheatproductsbeyondbreadN/A=datanecessaryforevaluationunavailablethroughUSDAQuickStats
Table6.SummaryofproductionquantityandvalueinO
regonandWashington,asw
ellasestimatedfarm
-levelgreenhousegasem
issions,forfoodsunderconsideration.
OregonProduction
WashingtonProduction
food2014production(lbs) a
$value(2014) a
rankingin$value
estimatedannualG
HGE
(atfarmgate) bkgCO
2 eq2014production(lbs) c
$value(2014) c
rankingin$value
estimatedannualG
HGE
(atfarmgate) bkgCO
2 eqdairy(farm
milk)
2,555,000,000656,635,000
41,263,232,000
6,584,000,0001,626,248,000
23,255,233,000
wheat
2,666,640,000302,056,000
6374,966,000
6,507,600,000719,270,000
3915,057,000
apples155,000,000
43,269,00020
17,577,0007,300,000,000
1,895,887,0001
827,806,000
potatoes2,256,200,000
178,240,0007
368,422,00010,147,500,000
771,210,0004
1,657,018,000
eggs94,914,000
65,781,00015
146,808,000254,583,000
176,805,00015
393,777,000
winegrapes
116,000,000118,320,000
1024,204,000
454,000,000251,970,000
894,728,000
pears432,000,000
127,392,0009
48,204,000832,000,000
233,824,0009
92,838,000
hazelnuts72,000,000
129,600,0008
16,982,000N/A
N/A
-
raspberries8,650,000
17,159,00037
800,00072,990,000
57,921,00024
6,754,000
aquaculture(foodfish)
N/A
1,536,587
-N/A
83,570,34917
-
strawberries
15,500,00013,125,000
403,797,000
9,900,00011,093,000
332,425,000
onions1,423,800,000
106,334,00011
251,872,0001,300,000,000
106,444,00011
147,418,000
blueberries87,300,000
102,325,00013
18,611,00094,600,000
112,638,00019
20,168,000
cherries,sweet
115,800,00082,709,000
1428,364,000
474,000,000502,370,000
7116,102,000
greenpeas(forprocessing)
82,860,00010,466,000
3920,296,000
236,880,00029,433,000
2558,021,000
Carrots(forprocessing)
N/A
N/A
-
(D)(D)
-
snapbeans(forprocessing)
6970000013,940,000
47,423,000
N/A
N/A
-
garlic1,200,000
1,080,000
354,000N/A
N/A
-
Pork(hogs)2,420,000
2,017,000
15,125,000(D)
(D)
-ahttp://w
ww.nass.usda.gov/Q
uick_Stats/Ag_Overview
/stateOverview
.php?state=OREG
ONandN
ASSQuickStatsdatabase:http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/
bAnnualfarmgateG
HGem
issionsestimatedbasedonaverageem
issionfactorsfromFoodLCALiteratureReview
databaseand2014stateproductionvalues.chttp://w
ww.nass.usda.gov/Q
uick_Stats/Ag_Overview
/stateOverview
.php?state=WASHIN
GTO
NandN
ASSQuickStatsdatabase:http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/
N/A=datanotavailablethroughU
SDAQuickStats
(D)=withheldbyU
SDAtoavoiddisclosingdataforindividualoperators
Table7.Summaryofinform
ationgleanedfromtheFoodLCAliteraturereview
forfoodsunderconsideration.
LCAdataqualityandquantity
foodratingofLCAdata
#entriesinDB#studies
U.S.Studies?
NOTES
dairy(milkand
dairyproducts)high
8716
Yessom
ecomparisonsofconventional&
organic.Num
erousalternativeproductionmethods
represented;includesentrieson:butter(5),cheese(18),yogurt(11),wheat
high19
7Yes
Organicvs.conventionalcom
parisons,croprotationcomparisons;9additionalentriesforbread
appleshigh
2512
Yesnum
erouscomparisonsbetw
eenconventional&organic.O
nestudyexploreslocalcoldstoragevs.im
portsfromsouthernhem
isphere(inUKcontext)
Potatoesandpotatoproducts
high16
7No
conventional&organiccom
parisons;includespeeled,mashed,potatoflour,&
potatochips
eggshigh
309
Yescom
parisonsofproductionstyles
winegrapes
medium
11
4yes
comparisonsbetw
eenconventional&organic.;allfocusedongrapeproduction(donotinclude
impactsofw
inemaking)
pearslow
8
5no
comparisonsofconventional&
organicproductioninChina;studiesconsiderimpactsuptopointof
retailhazelnuts
low
92
no
raspberrieslow
5
3no
UKstudyexploresseasonality&
localvs.import
aquaculture(foodfish)
medium
27
8no
comparisonsofproductionsystem
s(recirculation,flow-through,etc)
strawberries
medium
11
7Yes
comparisonsofconventional&
organic,greenhouse&openfield,local&
import
onionsverylow
1
1no
nodetailedinfoonproductionimpacts
blueberrieslow
4
2Yes
comparesconventional&
organic
cherries,sweet
low
31
noconsiderslocalvs.im
ported
greenpeas(forprocessing)
low
31
noconsiderslocalvs.im
ported
Carrots(forprocessing)
low
52
no
snapbeans(forprocessing)
low
41
noconsiderslocalvs.im
ported
garliclow
3
1no
considerslocalvs.imported
Citrusfruitsandjuices
high17
12yes
Conventionalvs.organic.Concentratedandnot-from-concentratejuices.
Bananashigh
97
noStudylookingatU
Simporterandretailchain
Tomatoes
high47
11yes
Fieldvs.greenhouse,conventionalvs.organic,localvs.national;includesprocessedforms:paste,
chopped,puree,juice.chicken
medium
18
7yes
Variousproductionmethods
porkhigh
3915
yesVariousproductionm
ethods
11FoodCommodityRecommendations
3. RecommendedfoodsforfurtherevaluationanddevelopmentofCategoricalFootprintSummaries
Thefollowingparagraphsprovideabriefjustificationforthetoprecommendedcommodities.Notethatbudgetrestrictionswillpermitfurtherevaluationofonlytenfoods.Additionalfoodsareincludedheretoallowsomeflexibilityinthefinalselectionprocess.1.DairyanddairyproductsDairyisanimportanteconomiccommodityinbothOregonandWashington,andbecauseoftherelativelylargecarbonfootprintofdairyproduction,italsorepresentsasignificantfractionofthetotalgreenhousegasemissionsinthesestates(2%inOR6,3.5%inWA7).Dairyalsocontributessignificantlytoconsumptionbasedgreenhousegasemissions,contributing13%ofthefoodandbeveragesector,or1.7%ofthetotalconsumption-basedemissions.DairyproductionhasbeenextensivelystudiedwithLCA,includingacomprehensive,geo-spatiallyexplicitU.S.studysponsoredbyDairyManagementInc.TheCenterforSustainableSystems(CSS)waspartoftheresearchteamforthisnationalstudyandtheyhaveintimatefamiliaritywiththestudyanditsresults.CombinedwithothermilkLCAliterature,thiswillofferarobustsummarystatementabouttheenvironmentalimpactofdairyproductioninORandWA.Inaddition,CSShaspreviouslystudiedtheenvironmentaltrade-offbetweenenergyandwateruseinsourcingfeedcrops8andcanapplyinsightsfromthatworktodairyinthePacificNorthwest.Notethatwearecurrentlyrecommendingthatthefocusbeonfarm-gatemilk,asthebulkoftheenvironmentalimpactsforprocesseddairyproducts(cheese,yogurt,etc.)originateon-farm(aninsightthatwouldbecommunicatedthroughLCAevidenceinthefinalproductfootprintsummary).However,iftheinterestarises,specificconsumer-leveldairyproductscouldbeconsideredindependently.AccordingtoUSDAQuickStats,thereare20dairyprocessingplantsinOR,and10inWA,providingsomeindicationofthestructureofdairyprocessingintheregion.2.Wheatandwheatproducts(bread)WheatisalsoaveryimportantcropeconomicallyinbothOregonandWashington.Theregionproducesprimarilysoftwhitewheat,usedinpastries,cakes,pretzels,cookiesandAsiannoodles,butalsoincludeshardredwinterandspringwheats.Withmorethan85%ofOregon-grownwheatbeingexported,wheatisthe#1productexportedthroughthePortofPortland.AlargenumberofLCAstudiesonwheatexistintheliterature.Inaddition,wheatisoneofsevencommoditiescurrentlyrepresentedintheUSDA’sLCADigitalCommons9,withinventoriesderivedfromUSDAAgcensusandotherdataavailablespecificallyforORandWAproductionovermultipleyears.BreadproductionhasalsobeenextensivelystudiedviaLCA,offeringinsightintotherelativecontributionsofon-farm6BasedonOregon2014totalin-boundaryemissionsof60.1millionMTCO2eq.(http://www.oregon.gov/deq/AQ/Pages/Greenhouse-Gas-Inventory-Report.aspx#inventory)7BasedonWashington2012TotalGrossEmissionsof92.0millionMTCO2eq.(http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/docs/2012GHGtable.pdf)8Heller,M.C.andG.A.Keoleian(2011)."ExploringaWater/EnergyTrade-offinRegionalSourcingof
LivestockFeedCrops."EnvironmentalScience&Technology45(24):10619-10626.9https://www.lcacommons.gov/discovery/search
12FoodCommodityRecommendations
activitiestotheremainderoftheproductchain.Whilestudiesthatexplicitlyexaminetheconsumerproductstypicallymadefromsoftwhitewheatwerenotuncoveredintheliteraturescan,furtherresearchwillfocusinthisdirection.3.ApplesWashingtonistheleadingproducerofapplesintheU.S.,withapplesbeingthestate’shighestvalueagriculturalcommodity.AppleproductionisalsoimportantinOregon.Long-termstorageincontrolledtemperatureandatmospherefacilitiesiscommonwithapples,andofteninmarketcompetitionwithfruitimportedout-of-seasonfromsouthernhemispheregrowingregions.Thisisaparticularlyinterestingtrade-offtoexaminewithLCA,andtwoidentifiedstudiesexaminetheseasonalityoflocalvs.importedapplesinaEuropeancontext.Appleprocessing(intojuices,sauce,etc.)isalsoimportanttotheappleindustryinthePacificNorthwest,andwhileLCAstudiesonthesefinalproductsspecificallywerenotidentified,weareinvestigatingothermeansofestimatingprocessingimpactsinordertoofferperspectiveontheirrelativeimportance.4.PotatoesandpotatoproductsPotatoesareOregon’s7thhighestvaluecrop;potatoesrank#4inWashington.Becauseofthelargevolumeofproduction,thepotatoindustryalsorepresentsanoticeableportionofeachstate’sgreenhousegasemissions:anestimated0.6%oftotalstateemissionsinOR,and1.8%inWA.Potatoesareannualvegetables,sotheirproductiontypologydiffersfromtheperennialfruitsincludedamongrecommendedcommodities.SomeoftheLCAsofpotatoesconsiderprocessedendformsandfindsignificantincreases(abovefarm-gateimpacts)incarbonfootprint:peeledpotatoes50-60%greater,mashedpotatoes2-2.8timesgreater,potatochips3-4timesgreater.Refinementofthistypeofinformationmayprovideinsightstohotspotsinpotatoprocessing,inadditiontoconsiderationsoftheproductionphase.5.EggsWhileperhapsnotconsideredaniconicPacificNorthwestfood,eggproductionisnonethelessastrongagriculturalcommodity,ranking15thindollarvalueinbothORandWA.Itisestimatedthateggscontributeabout1.5%ofthegreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwithOregonfoodandbeverageconsumption.Eggproductionpracticesvarywidely,withanumberofchoicesavailableinthemarketplace(organic,conventional,cagefree,freerange,etc).ManyoftheseoptionshavebeencomparedinLCAstudies(albeitinaEuropeancontext),offeringinsightsintodifferencesinenvironmentalimpact.Ingeneral,feedproductionaccountsforthelargestshareofimpactsineggproduction,sofeedconversionefficienciesleadtoreducedoverallemissions.Buttheseefficienciesneedtobeconsideredinlightoftheenvironmentalcostsoffeedsourcingasimpactsoffeedproductioncanvarysignificantly.Likewise,feedsourcinginthearidwestisofparticularinterestduetoirrigationneedsforfeedcropproduction;energy/watertrade-offsinfeedsourcing,mentionedpreviously,alsoapplyhere.6.WineWinegrapesareadistinctiveproductofthePacificNorthwestthatcontributessignificantlytotheagriculturaleconomyoftheregion.Viticulturepresentsauniquesetofperennial
13FoodCommodityRecommendations
cultivationpracticeswithdistinctdifferencesfromorchardcrops.GrapeproductioninCalifornia’swinegrowingregionshasbeenanalyzedwithLCA,andinsightsgainedinthosestudiesmaybetranslatabletoORandWAwinegraperegions.StillotherLCAstudiesconsiderthefullwineproductionmethod,sheddinglightonstageswheremitigationstrategiesshouldbefocused.7.PorkWhilenotnecessarilyanemblematicfoodofPacificNorthwestagriculture,porkrepresentsanestimated4.5%ofthefoodandbeveragecomponentoftheOregonconsumption-basedgreenhousegasemissionsinventory.Italsooffersatellingexampleoftheimpactsofmeatproduction.Athorough‘cradle-to-grave’LCAofU.S.porkfoundthat62%ofthecarbonfootprintoccursonfarm,yet23.5%occursattheconsumerlevel(refrigeration,cooking,foodwastedisposal).AnumberofporkproductionstrategiesarecomparedintheLCAliterature.8.CitrusfruitsandjuicesClearly,citrusfruitsarenotproducedinthePacificNorthwest.Yet,citrusfruitandjuicesareacommonpartofthedietsofmostAmericans.Citrusjuicesare62%(bymass)ofthejuiceconsumedintheU.S.ThequalityofLCAresearchoncitrusproductionisquitehigh,andincludesatleastoneU.S.basedstudy.Aproductfootprintsummaryofcitrusfruitsandjuiceswilldemonstratetheimpact,relativetoon-farmproduction,ofcitrustransportfromFlorida(forexample)tothePacificNorthwest.Itmayalsodemonstratetheimpactsofconcentratedvs.not-from-concentratejuice.9.FreshwaterAquacultureBothOregonandWashingtonhaveaquacultureindustrieswithsignificantgrowthpotential.TheOregonDepartmentofAgriculturehasacknowledgedthisgrowthpotentialandhaspledgedtocontinuetosupportdevelopmentandexpansionofanaquacultureindustryinOregon10.Whiledemandforseafoodproductscontinuestogrow,aquaculturefacesnumeroushurdles,includingmisinformationandpublicmisperceptionsregardingtheaquacultureindustry11.LCAstudiesofaquaculturepracticeshavebeenconductedinregionsacrosstheglobe,withmanystudiesmakingdirectcomparisonsbetweenalternativeproductionpractices12.AcategoricalfootprintsummaryofaquaculturemaybevaluabletothedevelopingindustryinthePacificNorthwestinovercomingpopularmisconceptions.NotethatwhilecommercialwildcatchfisherieshavealsobeenanalyzedviaLCA,theyareregionallydependent(e.g.,howfarshipsmusttravelfromport)andwehavebeenunabletoidentifyLCAstudiesofPacificNorthwestfisheries.Wildcatchfisheries
10IndustryReportfromtheStateBoardofAgriculture,January,2015.http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/shared/Documents/Publications/Administration/BoardReport.pdf.11DevelopingAdditionalInvestmentinAquaFarminginOregon:aroadmapforsustainabledevelopment.OregonDepartmentofAgricultureRFP#2014-05.March,2015.http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/shared/Documents/Publications/MarketAccess/AquacultureInvestment.pdf12Cao,L.,J.S.Diana,G.A.Keoleian(2013)."Roleoflifecycleassessmentinsustainableaquaculture."ReviewsinAquaculture5(2):61-71.
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alsovarygreatlyyear-to-yeardependingonoceanandfishstockconditions,makingitmorechallengingtogeneralizeconclusionsfromLCAstudies.ItisourimpressionthattheenvironmentalperformanceofaquaculturepracticesislesslocationdependentandthereforelessonsgleanedfromLCAstudiescanbeappliedtocurrentorfutureproductioninthePacificNorthwest.10.Raspberries(caneberries)Caneberryproduction,includingredandblackraspberries,blackberries,andboysenberries,isveryimportantinthePacificNorthwest.OregonistheleadU.S.producerofblackberries,boysenberriesandblackraspberries,growingnearlyallofthecountry’scommercialcrop.Washingtonisthetopproducerofredraspberries,withORranking3rdamongstates.Thesesmall,softfruitshaveshortshelflivesasfreshberries,thusrequiringexpeditiousdistributionchannelsthatmaketheirlifecyclesconsiderablydifferentthanpomefruitssuchasapplesandpears.Becauseoftheirhighperishability,processingmethods(freezing,canning,preserves)areimportanttotheoverallproductchain.WehavefoundonlyafewLCAstudiesfocusedonraspberries;however,weanticipate(andwillconfirm)thatproductionmethodsamongcaneberriesmaybesimilarenoughthatcombiningcaneberriesintoasingleenvironmentalfootprintsummarywillbeappropriate.Ifwediscoverthisnottobetrue,wewouldlimitthisanalysistoraspberriesonly.InformationfromraspberryLCAswillbecombinedwithdataonenergyuseoffreezingandprocessingsoftfruitsandstudiesthatexaminetherelativeenvironmentalimpactoftransporttoofferenvironmentalimpactinformationofvaluetotheberryindustry.11.PearsPearproductionranks9thintermsofvalueofagriculturalcommoditiesinbothORandWA,withWAbeingthetopU.S.producerat50%oftheU.S.pearcrop,andORwith26%ofU.S.production.In2005,theOregonlegislaturenamedthepearthestatefruit.LCAstudiesofpearproductioninSwitzerlandPortugal,Italy,andChinahavebeenidentified.Fromanenvironmentalimpactperspective,pearcultivation,storage,processing,anddistributionislikelysimilartoapples;thisshouldbeconsideredinmakingthefinalcommodityselection.12.ChickenChickenmeatrepresentsanestimated6%ofthefoodandbeverageportionofOregonconsumption-basedgreenhousegasemissions.Perhapsbecauseoflowvolume,broilerproductioninOregonandWashingtondoesnotappearintheUSDAQuickStatsdatabase.ChickenthereforerepresentsanotherfoodthatislikelyconsumedinlargerquantitiesinthePacificNorthwestthatitisproduced.Similartoeggproduction,broilerproductionpracticesvarywidely,andmuchoftheimpactisconnectedwithfeedproduction.13.BananasAsidefromfeedgrains,bananasarethelargestfoodimportbymassintotheU.S.BasedontheestimatesshowninFigure2,bananasconstitute9%ofthecarbonfootprintoffruitandvegetableconsumption.Isthisduetolongtransportdistancesfromtropicalregions,orsimplybecausebananasareconsumedinlargequantities?Ifwe’regoingtoeatbananas,whatcanbedonetoreducetheimpactofthatconsumption?Aproductfootprintsummarywouldshedlightonthesetypesofquestions.
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14.HazelnutsOregonproducesvirtuallytheentireU.S.hazelnutcrop,andtheU.S.ranksthirdinglobalproduction.ThelargesthazelnutprocessorinNorthAmericaislocatedinOR.Todate,wehaveidentifiedonlytwoLCAstudiesthatconsiderhazelnuts:oneinanItaliancontextandtheotherinIran.TheItalianstudyconsidersdifferentfinalforms(hazelnutpaste,spreadablecream,chocolatecovered)andincludesestimatesofenergydemandforvariousprocessingsteps.Inaddition,wehaveidentifiedahazelnutenterprisebudgetfortheWillametteValleydevelopedbyOregonStateUniversity13whichshouldallowascan-levelestimateoftheenvironmentalimpactsofORhazelnutproduction.15.TomatoesTomatoesareaniconicvegetablethatisenjoyedbothfreshandprocessed.Becauseofthis,tomatoeshavebeenstudiedextensivelyviaLCA.Tomatoesalsoareagoodexampleofthecommonmisconceptionsassociatedwithenvironmentalimpactoffoodlifecycles.Intemperateclimates,out-of-seasonlocaltomatoesareoftenproducedinheatedgreenhouses,whichdrasticallyincreasestheenergyuseandcarbonfootprintassociatedwiththeirproduction.AnumberofLCAstudiescomparelocalout-of-seasonproductionwithimportedtomatoes.AU.S.basedLCAofprocessedtomatoesexploresthetrade-offsbetweenregionalproductiondifferences(inthiscase,CAvs.MI)andlong-distancetransport,withresultsbeingsomewhatcounter-intuitivetopopularbeliefs.OtherfoodsinTable5Table5listsanadditionaleightfoodsthatarerelevantandimportanttoagricultureinORandWA,butinmostcasestheavailableLCAliteratureisquitelimited.Onionsareaninterestingexample:Oregonisthenation’stoponionproducer,whileWashingtonranksnumber2.Whilethevalueoftheseonioncropsfallsfartherdownthe“topcommodities”listineachstate,becauseofthehighproductionvolume,weestimatethatthegreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwiththisproductionisrathersignificant.However,thereisverylittlepublicdomainLCAresearchthatanalyzesonionproduction.Similarly,thereisanotablevegetableprocessingindustryinORandWA:greenpeas,carrots,snapbeansandsweetcornallrankashighvolumeprocessedcrops.Whentakenindividually,thereislimitedLCAdataonproductionofthesecrops.Whiledifferencesincultivationandharvestingpracticesbetweenthesecropsmakefarm-gateimpactsvary,processingsteps–freezingorcanning–willbesimilar.Acombinedcategoricalfootprintsummarywithgeneralizedinformationontherelativeimportanceofprocessinganddistributiontotheoveralllifecyclemaybeavaluableaddition.4. ConclusionsandNextStepsRecommendationsoffoodcommoditiesforfurtherevaluationanddevelopmentofcategoricalfootprintsummariesweremadebasedonfivecriteria.Thefirstfiveoftherecommendedfoodsscorehighinregionalproductionvalue,estimatedenvironmental13Julian,JamesW.,ClarkF.Seavert,andJeffL.Olsen.Orchardeconomics:ThecostsandreturnsofestablishingandproducinghazelnutsintheWillametteValley.Corvallis,Or.:ExtensionService,OregonStateUniversity,2008.http://hdl.handle.net/1957/17438.
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impactofregionalproduction,quantityandqualityofLCAdata,andtheyscorereasonably
highinconsumption-basedimpactsaswell.Theremainingrecommendedfoods
demonstratetrade-offsincriteria.TheywereselectedbasedontheirscoringinTable5,as
wellastorepresentadiversityoffoodtypesinthefinalcollectionoffootprintsummaries.
Theserecommendationsserveasabasisforstakeholderinputanddeterminationofafinal
listfornextsteps.
Thesuccessofthisprojectisdependentonprovidinginformationtobusinessesand
organizationsthatmayfinditusefulindirectingchange.Oftentheeasebywhichchange
canbemadeisdependentontheorganizationalstructureofanindustry.Therefore,wewelcomeinputfromstakeholdersontheorganizationalstructurewithinthePacificNorthwestoftherecommendedfoodindustries,aswellassuggestionsofcommoditiesnotincludedherethatmaybeofparticularinteresttoinstitutionalbuyersand/orfoodprocessors.
Whiletheexactformandcontentoftheproductfootprintsummariesresultingfromthis
projectwillcontinuetoevolvethroughfurtherresearchanddiscussionwithstakeholders,
itwillbeimportanttomaintainreasonableexpectationsofwhatexistingliteraturecantell
us.Theproductfootprintsummarieswillnotbeabletoprovidedefinitivebenchmarkingoftheenvironmentalimpactofproducing(orconsuming)specificfoodsinthePacific
Northwest,norwilltheybeabletoprovidecomparativeinformationonspecificgrowing
practicesorgrowingregionswithinPacificNorthwest(sinceregion-specificLCAdatais
currentlyunavailable).Whattheywillbeabletodoisdemonstratetherelativeimpactsofon-farmproductioncomparedtoprocessing,distributionandtransportfortypicalproduct
chains,ortheaspectsofon-farmproductionthatareparticular“hotspots”intermsof
environmentalimpact(suchas,forexample,fertilizeruse.)Incaseswheretheliterature
demonstratesasignificantdifferenceintheenvironmentalimpactcategoriesbeing
investigated,wemaybeabletomakestatementsondifferencesingenericproduction
practices(e.g.,cagedvs.freerangeeggs).Totheextentpossible,LCAresultsfromthe
literaturewillbemodifiedtobetterrepresentthePacificNorthwestby,forexample,
adjustingforyieldorirrigationrates,ortypicaltransportdistances.
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