In The Netherlands, compared to 1990, the emission of greenhouse gases (CO2, methane and helium) needs to be reduced by 49% in 2030 and by 95% in 2050. "Dutch Buyers of agrarian products are also pressing for this, as they can set themselves apart with products having a lower carbon footprint", says Frank Waijers, director of Duynie Feed Netherlands. "A product’s carbon footprint is becoming part of the ‘license to produce’, and hence a purchase argument for buyers. Buyers are asking livestock farmers to provide insight into the carbon footprint of milk and meat. In that way they can demonstrate that supplied products have a lower environmental impact." Waijers expects that products produced in an environmentally-friendly manner will fetch higher prices in the future. For a number of products, such as milk, improving e.g. the carbon footprint is already translating into higher prices.
The products have been examined by Blonk Consultants, a consultancy in the field of environment, sustainability, food and health. The environmental impact is measured by means of the Life Cycle Analysis, or LCA. The LCAs are calculated using the internationally recognised calculation rules as defined in PEFCR (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules) and GFLI (Global Feed LCA Institute). This method calculates a product’s impact on the environment, taking account of land use, eutrophication, groundwater depletion, particulates, acidification and climate change.
A co-product is the result of the production of beverages, foodstuffs or biofuels. International calculation rules assign the CO2 emissions resulting from cultivation and processing to the main product. For potato cuttings, the main product is potato chips, for example. “Brewer’s grains are an exception, with 1% of the CO2 equivalents of the emissions due to cultivation and beer brewing assigned to brewer’s grains", says Waijers.