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Purpose <p>As Canada aims to meet its net-zero emissions targets by 2050, evaluating the sustainability of its agricultural and food production systems is crucial. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessments (LCSA) have emerged as vital tools for understanding and mitigating food production’s environmental, economic, and social impacts. This report examines trends in LCSA modeling within Canadian agriculture, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement.</p> Methods <p>One hundred sixty-four LCSAs spanning environmental Life Cycle Assessments (ELCA), life cycle costing (LCC), techno-economic assessments (TEA), and social life cycle assessments (s-LCA) were obtained from public scientific journals and industrial reports. The obtained LCSAs were further vetted to adhere to ISO 14040/44 standards while representing Canadian regions and commodities. The involved agri-food commodities were further refined into two classifications: commodity type and food group. The most represented commodities were subjected to a GWP harmonization analysis, where several strategies evaluated for these commodities were compared to better understand feasible strategies in the net-zero agri-food transition.</p> Results <p>The most assessed agri-food commodities included eggs, dairy products, and corn. From a commodity perspective, the grains industry in Canada is the most represented in the public LCSAs, whereas major food commodities emerge as the prominent agri-food commodities. Among the LCSA types, ELCA was the most assessed commodity type. Among the provinces, Alberta, Québec, and Ontario are the most assessed, while Saskatchewan’s reports lag behind those of provinces with higher reported agricultural GDPs. Temporal and spatial analyses of eggs, beef, dairy, wheat, corn, and canola were conducted in detail, comparing province- and year-relative benchmarks against national standards to establish a consensus on temporal trends and identify regions that require further sustainability improvements in their practices. Several strategies have been observed to yield significant reductions in GWP, including the introduction of methane-reducing additives in cattle diets (3-NOP) and the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices (e.g., zero-tillage and organic farming).</p> Conclusions <p>Economic assessments must be included for many food commodities, particularly grains, cereals, pulses, and meats. The decrease in assessments post-2017 of grains suggests the need for more collaborative involvement, especially from municipal and provincial governments, private sector industries, and future academic LCSA practitioners. Saskatchewan’s efforts lag behind those of provinces with higher agricultural GDPs, suggesting a need for more assessments involving commodities in the region and requiring additional investments from academia. Assessments for food commodities such as shellfish, salmon, and potatoes are insufficient, indicating areas for further research in LCSA development.</p>

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Mapping the landscape of life cycle sustainability assessments in Canadian agri-food systems: food commodity trends, gaps, and pathways to net-zero

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年6月4日

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  • Joël Mongeon,
  • Ebenezer M. Kwofie,
  • Raphael Aidoo

摘要

Purpose

As Canada aims to meet its net-zero emissions targets by 2050, evaluating the sustainability of its agricultural and food production systems is crucial. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessments (LCSA) have emerged as vital tools for understanding and mitigating food production’s environmental, economic, and social impacts. This report examines trends in LCSA modeling within Canadian agriculture, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement.

Methods

One hundred sixty-four LCSAs spanning environmental Life Cycle Assessments (ELCA), life cycle costing (LCC), techno-economic assessments (TEA), and social life cycle assessments (s-LCA) were obtained from public scientific journals and industrial reports. The obtained LCSAs were further vetted to adhere to ISO 14040/44 standards while representing Canadian regions and commodities. The involved agri-food commodities were further refined into two classifications: commodity type and food group. The most represented commodities were subjected to a GWP harmonization analysis, where several strategies evaluated for these commodities were compared to better understand feasible strategies in the net-zero agri-food transition.

Results

The most assessed agri-food commodities included eggs, dairy products, and corn. From a commodity perspective, the grains industry in Canada is the most represented in the public LCSAs, whereas major food commodities emerge as the prominent agri-food commodities. Among the LCSA types, ELCA was the most assessed commodity type. Among the provinces, Alberta, Québec, and Ontario are the most assessed, while Saskatchewan’s reports lag behind those of provinces with higher reported agricultural GDPs. Temporal and spatial analyses of eggs, beef, dairy, wheat, corn, and canola were conducted in detail, comparing province- and year-relative benchmarks against national standards to establish a consensus on temporal trends and identify regions that require further sustainability improvements in their practices. Several strategies have been observed to yield significant reductions in GWP, including the introduction of methane-reducing additives in cattle diets (3-NOP) and the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices (e.g., zero-tillage and organic farming).

Conclusions

Economic assessments must be included for many food commodities, particularly grains, cereals, pulses, and meats. The decrease in assessments post-2017 of grains suggests the need for more collaborative involvement, especially from municipal and provincial governments, private sector industries, and future academic LCSA practitioners. Saskatchewan’s efforts lag behind those of provinces with higher agricultural GDPs, suggesting a need for more assessments involving commodities in the region and requiring additional investments from academia. Assessments for food commodities such as shellfish, salmon, and potatoes are insufficient, indicating areas for further research in LCSA development.