Decision support for agricultural products

More than half of the global environmental impact is due to products that originate in agriculture, and is therefore one of our focus areas. Most often our studies are policy-oriented, data-rich, and use monetary valuation of the environmental impacts (externalities).

Projects

• LCA of RSPO Certified Palm Oil
  This project aims to develop time‑series of life cycle (LCA) results of RSPO certified versus non‑certified palm oil. Further, the LCA is differentiate between producing countries and type of growers (estates and smallholders)
• Palm oil pilot study
  This project consists of a pilot (LCA) study of refined palm oil. Mitigation options in relation to nature conservation is investigated and comparisons with industry average palm oil is made.
• Sustainable Solutions
  The project aims at quantifying the environmental impacts of a range of solutions from DuPont Nutrition & Health. The project includes life cycle screenings of DuPont specialty food ingredients and their application in the industry.  
• Carbon Footprint Tool for Milk May 2016
  We developed a tool, which can be used for calculation of carbon footprint of milk both at farm level and at national level. The tool is used by Danish dairy farmers and to review selected historical national productions.
• Potentials and barriers to the use of wood and sustainable wood in construction April 2016
  On the basis of an assignment from the Center for Construction this project aimed to uncover potentials and barriers in the use of wood in Danish construction.
• Relative Sustainability of Vegetable Oils March 2016
  Evidence to inform consumers and policy‐makers of the potential negative environmental consequences of replacing any particular vegetable oil at the expense of another.
• Assessment of the Effect of Agricultural Research December 2010
  The project aimed at assessing the effect of agricultural research. We improved the modelling of agricultural production in the Danish input‑output model and applied the STEPWISE impact assessment method to monetarise the externalities.
• Environmental Improvement Potentials of Meat and Dairy Products November 2007
  This project applies several novel elements at the same time, such as hybrid LCA, consequential modelling, rebound effects, social impacts, life cycle costs, analysis of synergies and dysergies, impact assessment with full monetarisation, temporal discounting, and policy feasibility assessment.
• Environmental Impact of Competing Agricultural Products April 2005
  The purpose of the project was to assess the environmental impacts from Danish pork and milk products in a life cycle perspective, in comparison with competing products, and, on this basis, to identify and prioritise the areas where the Danish environmental performance could be improved.
• Environmental Assessment of Agricultural Products August 2004
  The primary objective of the project was to promote a product‑oriented environmental assessment of products from agricultural holdings. The project provided the basic prerequisite, namely environmental effects recorded per unit of product.
• LCA-Food: A Database for Basic Foods March 2004
  A database on the environmental impacts from basic food products was produced in 2000‑2003 for the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, as part of the project "Lifecycle Assessment of Basic Food". The database is available free of charge.
• Product Oriented Measures in the Agricultural Sector June 2003
  This study outlined the state of the art and provided a foresight study with three scenarios that differed with respect to the role assigned to the product‑oriented approach – the life‑cycle thinking. For each scenario, a number of development projects were proposed.
• Product-oriented Environmental Policy for Agricultural Production December 2001
  In the study on “Product‑oriented environmental policy for agricultural production” we identified the problem areas and the possible role of product‑oriented policy measures.
• Indirect Land Use Change Model (iLUC)
  How to model of indirect land use change (iLUC) in LCA? The iLUC Club develops and further refines a generic, simple and science‑based model for including iLUC in LCA.