On a regular basis Mérieux NutriSciences | Blonk publishes LCA reports, footprinting articles and other environmental impact studies.
In the overview below you will find the English and Dutch reports, and other publications, which are publicly available.
The global food system significantly contributes to biodiversity loss through environmental pressures like land use, emissions, and pollution. This paper introduces a life cycle assessment method using the Mean Species Abundance (MSA) indicator to quantify biodiversity impacts from food supply chains. Applying this method to the Dutch diet reveals that products like beef, dairy, and coffee are major contributors to biodiversity loss, with land occupation and climate change being the primary drivers. Incorporating the MSA-loss metric into life cycle assessments provides a valuable tool for policy development and aligns environmental assessments with broader economic and ecological models.
de Weert, L., van Oorschot, M., Marques, A., Batlle Bayer, L., Westhoek, H., Maaoui, M., & Blonk, H. (2025). Linking a biodiversity abundance metric to life cycle assessment for quantifying the biodiversity footprint of Dutch diets. Journal of Cleaner Production. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.146081
Coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world, yet its production and consumption come with significant environmental impacts and cultivation is especially vulnerable to climate change. As pressure grows for more transparent and science-based sustainability reporting, the need for consistent measurement becomes urgent.
To meet this need, the European Coffee Federation (ECF) asked Mérieux NutriSciences | Blonk to develop robust life cycle assessment (LCA) guidelines, aligned with the latest international footprint methodologies, such as the EU Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) framework.
This study is an addendum to the main report “LCA of Oatly Barista and comparison with cow's milk”, which was published by Blonk Consultants on December 7th 2022 (Blonk Consultants, 2022). This addendum should be read in conjunction with the main report.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been performed to compare the environmental performance of Oatly Barista to cow’s milk in two sales markets in Europe: Austria and Switzerland. This study is an addendum to the report “LCA of Oatly Barista and comparison with cow's milk”, which was published by Blonk Consultants on December 7th, 2022, (Blonk Consultants, 2022) and covered Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, and the United States. This addendum should be read in conjunction with the main report.
This short report aims to refresh the operation data of Oatly Barista products sold in the US from 2021 in the Oatly Barista and comparison to cow's milk report to 2023 in this report. The reason behind this refresh is some significant changes in the US operations in the course of those years.
A critically reviewed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been performed to compare the environmental performance of Oatly Soft Serve to dairy soft serve ice cream, in Europe and the United States.
Hemicell is a feed additive whose activity reduces feed-induced immune responses and improves nutrient absorption, allowing for a reduction in dietary calorie content without compromising animal growth performance. Mérieux NutriSciences | Blonk used the LCA methodology to calculate the potential reduction in broiler and swine feeds when reformulated with Hemicell. The study found the reduction ranges from 2.5% to 3.4% for broilers and from 1.2% to 4.2%, for swine feeds. The study was ISO reviewed according to the ISO14040/44 standards.
In the LCA calculation of a CO2 footprint, allocation is a significant step. Using a so-called allocation key, the total environmental impact of a company and its supply chains is distributed over the products it produces. Within the PPS Klimaatperspectief (Climate Perspective Dutch Agro Production), the impact of allocation has been studied for various production systems in the Dutch agro sector, including animal feed, dairy, veal, and pork. This report shows that the choice of a specific allocation key has a significant impact on the final environmental footprint of these products, which can also affect defining the best reduction strategy.
The study compares the environmental performance of Oatly Barista (an oat-based drink designed for, but not limited to, use in coffee and tea) to cow’s milk in five sales markets: Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Italy and Spain.
The study compares the environmental performance of Oatly Unsweetened and Super Basic Oatmilks to cow’s milk in the United States (US), considering different sourcing scenarios.
The study compares the environmental performance of chilled Oatly Oat Drink Semi (an oat-based drink with a fat content of 1.5%) to cow’s milk in the Swedish and Finnish markets.
The study compares the environmental performance of Oatly Creamy Oats (oat-based product for cooking and baking) to dairy cooking cream in the German, Dutch, United Kingdom, Danish and Norwegian markets.
The study compares the environmental performance of Oatly Barista (an oat-based drink designed for, but not limited to, use in coffee and tea) to cow’s milk in three sales markets: Poland, Ireland and France.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been performed to compare the environmental performance of Oatly Creamy Oat to dairy cooking cream in Finland. This study is an addendum to the report “LCA of Oatly Creamy Oat and comparison with dairy cooking cream”, which was published by Blonk Consultants on February 19th 2024 (Blonk Consultants, 2024) and went through a critical review according to ISO 14040/14044/14071 standards (ISO, 2006b, 2006a, 2014).
This addendum should be read in conjunction with the main report.
The methodology, data use, and assumptions made, are described in detail in the main report, and have remained unchanged for this report. The changes that apply to the products in scope for this addendum concern the distribution of the Oatly product, the source, fat content and packaging size of the dairy cooking cream, and the storage at retailer and packaging end of life of both products in the aforementioned market. The main conclusions from the Oatly Creamy Oat study therefore also apply to this addendum.
Too Good to Go is the company behind the app which enables surplus food to be sold before its expiration date in 15 European countries, the US and Canada. By saving the food, food waste is avoided to a certain extent and food resources are applied more efficiently. Hereby, environmental impacts associated with food waste treatment and food production are decreased, leading to a potential reduction in environmental impacts like greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. CO2), water use and land use.
We investigated the environmental impact of Too Good to Go’s activities to save food from being disposed. Our team developed a robust environmental impact framework, measuring the avoided CO2-eq emissions, land use, and water use of the food saved from going to waste by Too Good To Go. The developed methodology was critically reviewed by WRAP and University of Oxford, ensuring its accuracy and credibility.
For WWF Central and Eastern Europe we modelled diets, using diet optimization methods, to simultaneously reduce carbon footprint and meet nutritional requirements of adults in Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, while ensuring diet costs did not increase and staying as close as possible to national dietary patterns.
Our findings show that increasing consumption of vegetables, legumes and nuts, moderating meat consumption, and reducing consumption of foods rich in added sugar, salt and saturated fats are needed to achieve healthy and sustainable diets.
This study builds on the foundations of the previous LCA study for Oatly, “LCA of Oatly Barista and comparison with cow's
milk”, investigating Oatly Barista produced and sold in multiple countries.
We have performed an Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare the environmental performance of Oatly Barista (an oat-based drink), to cow’s milk in China. I In addition, the study has analysed the drivers and opportunities linked to the environmental impact of Oatly Barista as produced in Singapore and China and sold in China.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been performed to compare the environmental performance of Oatly Creamy Oat to dairy cooking cream, starting with the Swedish market. In addition, the study has analysed the drivers and opportunities linked to the environmental impact of Oatly Creamy Oat. The functional unit considered for this study is 1 liter of Oatly Creamy Oat/dairy cooking cream at the point of sale, including packaging manufacturing and packaging end of life. For dairy cooking cream, a reference product has been defined based on market research data, that considered the fat content and the most common heat treatment type and packaging format in Sweden. The foreground data for Oatly Creamy Oat is based on company-specific data from Oatly and refers to production from Oatly’s End-to-End (E2E) factory in Landskrona1. For the dairy cooking cream, data and statistics at a national level were used.
The study was performed and critically reviewed according to ISO 14040/14044 and ISO/TS 14071:2014 standards for comparative assertions that may be disclosed to the public and is in line with LCA guidelines including the European Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR). The analysis was done for 10 key impact categories from the ReCiPe 2016 impact assessment method.
In 2023, we updated the Database of Environmental Impact of Food Products to version 3.0 on behalf of the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands). The most significant update involves using the latest background data from Agri-footprint (version 6.3) and switching to background data from the ecoinvent database instead of the ELCD database.
In this update, the environmental impact of 411 food products was calculated according to the most recent ReCiPe impact assessment method. The background document contains the details of the update.
The RIVM Food Database was first developed in 2019 and represents the environmental impact of food products consumed in the Netherlands. The latest version (RIVM Food Database 2.1) dated from 2021 and contained 265 food products. The database is used for research into healthy and sustainable eating patterns and related information. RIVM makes this data available to provide various stakeholders with a consistent set of environmental data for their work.
For the Dutch Paddenstoelen Ketenoverleg we conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Dutch mushroom supply chain, including primary data collection. The LCA focussed on the impact on climate change from cradle to farmgate. The study followed the main aspects of the latest European guidelines, such as EU PEF methodology and other relevant (shadow) PEFCRs.
This study builds on the foundations of the previous LCA study for Oatly, “LCA of Oatly Barista and comparison with cow's
milk”, investigating Oatly Barista produced and sold in multiple countries.
We have performed an Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare the environmental performance of Oatly Original (an oat-based drink), to cow’s milk in the United States (US). In addition, the study has analysed the drivers and opportunities linked to the environmental impact of Oatly Original as produced and distributed in the US.
For WWF-NL we optimized the Dutch adult diet for 2030 and 2050 taking into account health and sustainability, based on Eat-lancet environmental planetary boundaries.
A future planet-based diet for the Netherlands was created. Using Optimeal®, a diet optimization software, the most recent food consumption survey , and the updated environmental impact database for food (RIVM). The planetary boundaries defined by the EAT-Lancet commission translate into optimization constraints with a system boundary from cradle-to-processing for five environmental indicators, and the nutritional constraints are based on the Dutch food-based dietary guidelines.
Although substantial changes in protein source, the diet remains acceptable for the majority of consumers and fits within the planetary boundaries. These results contribute to the development of future planet-based dietary guidelines for the Netherlands.
Following the approach of the 2016 study WWF-UK commissioned Blonk in 2021-2022 again to model the Livewell diet and investigate how diet shift can enable a nature positive net-zero transition in the UK. The findings show that with a dietary change it is possible not to exceed the planetary boundary for GHG emission, whilst meeting the nutritional needs, being cultural acceptable and without increasing the price of the diet.
To get more insight in the environmental and nutritional performance of different diets, we performed a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study with Optimeal. We helped DSM to study the fortification of plant-based alternatives, bread and oil with critical micronutrients and omega -3 fatty acids.
Food products with critical micronutrients, ideally with complementary education on plant-based foods, can facilitate the transition to healthier and more sustainable diets.
Grasso, A. C., Besselink, J. J. F., Tyszler, M., & Bruins, M. J. (2023). The Potential of Food Fortification as an Enabler of More Environmentally Sustainable, Nutritionally Adequate Diets. Nutrients, 15(11), 2473.
For Oatly, a Swedish company that produces oat-based food products, Blonk Consultants has performed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare the environmental performance of their Oatly Barista product to cow’s milk. The study covers six sales markets: Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, the study has analysed the main drivers behind the environmental impact of Oatly Barista, and has identified potential opportunities for improvement.
This addendum to the above study compares the environmental performance of Oatly “No” Sugars and Oatly Oat Drink (Whole, Semi and Light) to cow’s milk in five key sales markets in Europe: Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Finland.
This project was commissioned by World Animal Protection in order to quantify through life cycle assessment (LCA)
modelling the environmental impacts of chicken and pork meat produced through conventional, large-scale farming methods and predominant international feed supply chains in four major market regions, and to compare with animal production using higher animal welfare conditions. The future climate change implications of these production differences are considered using projected future populations and meat consumption rates, alongside directed future reductions in meat consumption. Thus, the goal of this project is to assess the net changes in environmental impact associated with reductions in pork and chicken meat consumption within the consumer markets of the European Union (with production data from the Netherlands used as proxy), China, Brazil and the
United States combined with a transition to increased animal welfare production systems. The study is the first to consider within an LCA framework the potential differences in environmental impact between conventional and higher welfare chicken and pork production in four main production markets, while also considering the effects of reduced meat consumption at the population level.
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) recently launched the GRSB Carbon Footprint Guideline, which will help sector-wide and global consistency in carbon footprint calculations for beef cattle production. Blonk advised on and developed the methodological approach and drafted the guideline in close collaboration with the GRSB Climate Science Committee. The aim of The Guideline is to enable the international beef industry to report and monitor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions consistently, identify mitigation actions and ensure a global approach to sustainable beef production.
A food system transformation is essential to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Food systems are significant
drivers of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as to land occupation and degradation, biodiversity
loss, natural resource depletion, and nutrient flow disruption. Further, current food consumption patterns are
contributing to increases in diet-related chronic diseases. Numerous studies have shown that a shift toward healthier,
more sustainable diets is essential to mitigate global warming, restore nature, and improve public health outcomes.
Cosun Beet Company is interested in the role of added sugars in this context of nutritionally adequate and
sustainable diets. Cosun Beet Company is interested in understanding the environmental impact of diets with
various amounts of free and added sugars, considering dietary reference values for nutrition. To obtain insight in
this topic, this study applies (quadratic) optimization of diets.
This study explores, from a methodological standpoint, the applicability of sector LCA guidelines (FAO LEAP and/or EC PEF) to model nutritional interventions based on the use of feed additives. To that end, the effects on animal performance of a diverse set of nutritional interventions (n=14 in total) including the use of feed enzymes, vitamins, carotenoids, and eubiotics have been documented via an extensive literature review (along with the FAO LEAP Guidelines for feed additives) and further translated into potential effects observable at farm level. Three terrestrial target species were studied: broiler chickens, dairy cows, and fattening pigs. The reference systems were Dutch and Belgian. The methodological exploration was reviewed by external experts with respect to ISO 14044 requirements for LCA.
The study verifies the applicability of the available sector LCA guidelines to evaluate nutritional interventions improving animal productivity, animal health, lifetime performance or emissions. It confirms the potential of nutritional interventions, and feed additives in particular, to improve the footprint of animal production.
This study is a joint methodological investigation by Blonk and DSM Nutritional Products.
WWF launched the European Eat4Change project to make young Europeans aware of ways to develop and adopt a healthier and more sustainable diet. Our current food system has a substantial environmental impact. With Eat4Change, WWF wants to make food production more sustainable, combat biodiversity loss and tackle the climate crisis. As part of this European project, on behalf of WWF Belgium, we analyzed which products fit in a sustainable healthy diet for a family of four. We did this using our software tool Optimeal. The results show that a sustainable and healthy diet is also a little cheaper than the average Belgian's current dietary pattern.
Alessandra C Grasso, Margreet R Olthof, Corné van Dooren, Roline Broekema, Marjolein Visser, Ingeborg A Brouwer The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 151, Issue 1, January 2021, Pages 109–119
Qua klimaatimpact op nationaal en ketenniveau is de Nederlandse melkveehouderij de grootste agrarische sector in Nederland. Hierbij spelen de methaanemissies door pensfermentatie een rol, maar ook overige broeikasgassen op de boerderij en in de aanvoerketen van diervoer en kunstmest. In de tijd dat het klimaatakkoord is opgesteld is een maatregelenpakket geïdentificeerd dat kan bijdragen aan een reductie van de klimaatimpact van de melkveehouderijen. De mogelijke impact en invloed op andere milieuaspecten op de boerderij en in de keten zijn destijds alleen kwalitatief beoordeeld.
Blonk Consultants heeft in opdracht van RVO een levenscyclusanalyse (LCA) uitgevoerd om de geïdentificeerde klimaatmaatregelen integraal te analyseren.
Albert Heijn, Unilever en de Nationale Postcode Loterij sloegen in 2020 voor de zevende keer de handen ineen om heel Nederland bewuster te laten eten. Dit jaar organiseerden ze de campagne ‘Vega Favorieten’. De deelnemers van de Postcodeloterij ontvingen een cadeaukaart, waarmee zij bij Albert Heijn boodschappen konden doen voor een vegetarische maaltijd voor vier personen. Net als vorig jaar lag de focus op vegetarisch eten en werd het publiek gestimuleerd om een keer vlees te vervangen door een vleesvervanger of een ander vegetarisch alternatief. Blonk Consultants heeft de milieu-impact van de 3-weekse campagne berekend en maakt hiermee inzichtelijk hoeveel CO2-reductie deze heeft opgeleverd.
Dit rapport geeft een introductie van LCA-methodiek en hoe deze nu gebruikt wordt in drie Nederlandse agrosectoren, diervoeder, zuivel en kalfs- en varkensvlees, voor het monitoren van het broeikaseffect over de keten heen. Per sector wordt ingegaan op hoe en in welke mate sectoren aansluiten bij de Europese Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) standaard. Ook wordt inzicht gegeven in hoe de emissieberekening van het broeikaseffect volgens de PEF weer kan afwijken van de regels die in Nederland gehanteerd worden door de Nederlandse Emissie Registratie voor het opstellen van de jaarlijkse Nationale Inventory Reports (NIR) van het Nederlandse klimaateffect.
To get more insight in the environmental performance of the Suiker Unie beet sugar, we performed a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on beet sugar, cane sugar and glucose syrup.
In 2019 the Dutch National Postcode Lottery, Albert Heijn supermarket chain and Unilever organized the sixth ‘Doe Maar Lekker …’ campaign. In this campaign the public were encouraged to replace meat with a meat substitute or other vegetarian option. At the end of October all the participants of the National Postcode Lottery received a gift voucher worth €12.50 to exchange for the ingredients to make a meal for four. Replacing meat with a meat substitute or other vegetarian alternative has a positive climate impact. Blonk Consultants have calculated the reduction in CO2 emissions resulting from the campaign using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method.
In 2019 hebben we in opdracht van RIVM (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu) de milieubelasting van voedingsmiddelen, zoals geconsumeerd in Nederland, berekend. Het resultaat is een consistente database met milieugegevens van diverse voedingsmiddelen. Deze gegevens worden gebruikt voor onderzoek op gebied van gezonde en duurzame voedingspatronen en informatie daarover. RIVM stelt deze gegevens beschikbaar om verschillende geïnteresseerden een consistente set milieugegevens aan te bieden om mee te werken.
Al enkele jaren organiseren de Nationale Postcode Loterij, Albert Heijn en Unilever de campagne ‘Doe maar lekker duurzaam’. Dit jaar lag de focus op vegetarisch eten. Het publiek werd gestimuleerd om vlees een keer te vervangen door een vleesvervanger of een ander vegetarisch alternatief. Voor deze campagne hebben wij de milieu-impact meetbaar en zichtbaar gemaakt, door na afloop de CO2-reductie die deze campagne heeft opgeleverd te berekenen.
De organisatie van de Nationale Week Zonder Vlees heeft Blonk Consultants gevraagd om de milieu-impact van minder vlees eten te kwantificeren, om zo hun campagne cijfermatig te onderbouwen. Aan de hand van de onderzoeksmethode ‘LevensCyclusAnalyse’ (LCA) hebben we de milieu-impact en besparing van minder vlees eten in Nederland berekend.
Voor de Provincie Zuid-Holland hebben we onderzocht wat circulaire landbouw kan betekenen voor de provincie. In het onderzoek is gekeken naar de huidige milieubelasting van de grondgebonden landbouw. Ook zijn kansen en maatregelen beschreven om tot meer circulaire landbouw te komen. De verkenning is een bouwsteen voor de Strategie Circulair Zuid-Holland. Ook kan de verkenning gebruikt worden bij de gebiedsgerichte aanpak rondom stikstof.
The feed PEFCR is the first PEFCR to be officially approved. During the development of the feed PEFCR, Blonk Consultants supported the Technical Secretariat of the PEF pilot on ‘Feed for Food producing Animals’, chaired by FEFAC, the European Feed Manufacturers' Federation. This involved all the technical work needed to define the representative product, the screening study and drafting the PEFCR.
The PEFCR for beer was officially approved by the European Commission in Brussels on 20 April 2018. During the development of this standard the beer industry was supported by Blonk Consultants and Bocconi University. The Brewers of Europe (industry federation) chaired the process. For the PEFCR we performed a life cycle assessment (LCA) of ‘European beer’ and, with various brewers, we carried out a number of case studies and developed datasets and the model. Finally, we co-authored the definitive PEFCR for beer.
We believe that making the agri-food sector and society more sustainable and healthier begins with accurate and clear information. Over the years we have collected a lot of information and carried out many studies into the environmental impact of agricultural produce and foods. We are also frequently asked to share what we have learned – which is why we are happy to publish a number of key figures.
Royal FloraHolland is a cooperative of breeders and growers of plants and cut flowers. More than 90% of the trade in cut flowers and plants in the Netherlands goes via Royal FloraHolland. The plants are transported in various types of plant trays. To provide the sector with information about the sustainability of these trays, Royal FloraHolland commissioned a study by Blonk Consultants. The environmental performance of the trays was identified in a life cycle assessment (LCA) covering the whole supply chain.
To make high-quality, representative data on the resource use and environmental impacts caused by seafood products (including biomass used directly or indirectly for feed) available, the Norwegian seafood industry initiated a pilot project. The project defined a recommended method and structure for data collection and used this method to collect available data for a number of pilot cases. The method for data collection is presented in this document and can, together with the pilot data sets made available through the project, be used by the industry as a basis for a broader data collection to create an expanded seafood LCI database. Blonk Consultants has teamed with RISE Agrifood and Bioscience, SINTEF and Dalhousie University to develop the LCA Seafood Database.
The Beverage Industry Sector Guidance document was developed through a collaborative effort of the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER). The purpose of the document is to provide beverage companies with supplemental guidance specific to the sector, which supports beverage companies with alignment to global GHG reporting protocols and more granular guidance to drive additional consistency, accuracy, and leadership across the sector.
Het Nederlandse voedselsysteem heeft een grote impact op het milieu, hier in Nederland maar ook op vele andere plaatsen in de wereld. Eerder heeft Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL) deze voetafdruk in kaart gebracht en verkend wat het potentieel is van diverse maatregelen. PBL heeft Blonk Consultants gevraagd om deze analyse te verfijnen en algoritmes (inclusief benodigde data) op te stellen om de wijziging in landgebruik en broeikaseffect van Nederlandse consumptie van voedingsmiddelen nader te modelleren. Deze rapportage geeft een toelichting op de modeluitgangspunten, een beknopte uitwerking van modellering en de gebruikte achtergrondinformatie. Daarnaast wordt een toelichting gegeven hoe het model bestuurd en doorontwikkeld kan worden.
De Vlaamse overheid heeft de ambitie om Vlaanderen Europees leider te maken op het vlak van voeding. De groeiende vraag naar alternatieve eiwitten om ons vlees te vervangen biedt economische opportuniteiten voor Vlaanderen. In opdracht van het Vlaams Agentschap Innoveren & Ondernemen (VLAIO) heeft een studieteam van Technopolis B.V. en Blonk Consultants hier onderzoek naar gedaan. De studie schetst een objectief en neutraal beeld van de (internationale) status en het potentieel van (hoog-) technologische oplossingen om vleeseiwitten te vervangen in het dagelijks dieet.
Vanaf 1990 heeft Blonk Consultants in opdracht van de Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) de trends in broeikasgasemissies in agrarische sectoren in beeld gebracht. Dit rapport presenteert het resultaat van een actualisatie en uitbreiding van deze trendanalyses. De actualisatie betreft een update van de broeikasgasemissies voor de actuele stand van zaken in de agrarische sectoren. De broeikasgasemissies voor de actuele productie worden vergeleken met de resultaten voor 1990. De trendanalyse is uitgebreid met de belangrijkste akkerbouwgewassen (tarwe, suikerbieten en aardappelen), kippenei- en kalfsvleesproductie.
Dit rapport beschrijft een verkenning naar de behoefte, randvoorwaarden en mogelijke aanpak van een geïntegreerde monitoring van het klimaateffect van Nederlandse agroproductieketens. Deze verkenning is gezamenlijk uitgevoerd door Blonk Consultants en Wageningen UR in opdracht van de Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO)
Het Plan Bureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL) brengt tweejaarlijks de 'Balans voor de Leefomgeving' uit waarin gerapporteerd wordt over de staat van milieu, natuur en ruimte in Nederland. Voor de uitgave van dit jaar (verwacht medio september 2018) wil PBL een beter inzicht krijgen in hoe de milieu-efficiëntie van de Nederlandse landbouwproductie zich verhoudt tot die in andere Europese landen. In dit onderzoek is een verkennende analyse uitgevoerd om dit inzicht te verkrijgen.
In opdracht van de Consumentenbond heeft Blonk Consultants de duurzaamheid van groente en fruit in de Nederlandse supermarkt onderzocht. Doel van de Consumentenbond is om consumenten te informeren over verschillende duurzaamheidsaspecten rondom groente en fruit en meer inzicht geven in het beleid van Nederlandse supermarktketens op dit gebied.
Our food system is a driving force for climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss. We helped WWF UK to update the WWF Livewell guidelines. These guidelines show how our diets can relieve the pressure on nature and keep global warming below 2 degrees.
Recently the environmental impact of HumVi (a product of Vitens) has been evaluated. The results are presented in an ‘Agri-footprint® Performance Report’. This report shows why a product is a front runner in the field of sustainability. Furthermore, the Agri-footprint® Performance Report presents the environmental performance of a specific product in a visual, clear and attractive format. So, it is ready to be used as a communication tool on sustainability of a specific product.
This document describes the methodology and data sources applied for deriving the EC feed LCI dataset (full name "feed" process-based product environmental footprint-compliant life cycle inventory datasets). It merges the methodological requirements from the EC tender specifications [ENV.A.1/SER/2016/0035VL], the most recent guidelines document (European Commission, 2017) and the latest version of the draft feed PEFCR (Technical Secretatiat for the Feed pilot, 2015).
In opdracht van de Consumentenbond hebben we de milieu-impact van verschillende vleesvervangers vergeleken met vlees.
De Consumentenbond wil met dit onderzoek consumenten informeren over de duurzaamheid van vleesvervangers.
In het onderzoek zijn aan de hand van een 'LevensCyclusAnalyse' (LCA) verschillende vleesvervangers vergeleken met vleesproducten. Hierbij zijn klimaatverandering, watergebruik en landgebruik in kaart gebracht.
Voor het transitatieteam biomassa en voedsel van het Ministerie van Economische Zaken hebben we de klimaatimpact van de Nederlandse eiwitproductie en -consumptie onderzocht. Hierbij zijn twee vragen beantwoord:
Commissioned by Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and Vivera (producer of vegetarian products) Blonk Consultants developed a 'Protein selection chart'.
In order to develop meat substitutes and hybride products (vegetable) protein sources are needed. Each vegetable protein source has different characteristics. Insights in these characteristics are important to be able to make conscious decisions regarding raw material policies and natural capital. The Protein Selection Chart gives this information. It is an overview of the various financial, environmental and technical aspects of 10 new sources of vegetable proteins, cultivated in the Netherlands.
For the Dutch environmental organisation Natuur & Milieu Blonk Consultants investigated what such a healthy and sustainable diet would be for the Netherlands. The result is the Menu for Tomorrow, which provides a considerable reduction of greenhouse gases emissions and a smaller claim on scarce natural resources.
Commissioned by the Dutch Dairy Association (Nederlandse Zuivel Organisatie, NZO) Blonk Consultants researched the environmental impact of the substitution of milk, yoghurt, cheese and other dairy products in our diet.
Recently the environmental impact of Meatless has been evaluated. The results are presented in an ‘Agri-footprint® Performance Report’. This report shows why a product is a front runner in the field of sustainability. Furthermore, the Agri-footprint Performance Report presents the environmental performance of a specific product in a visual, clear and attractive format.
For FrieslandCampina Blonk Consultants carried out a life cycle assessment (LCA) of semi-skimmed milk and semi-matured Gouda cheese. FrieslandCampina is a member of the consortium developing the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) with the European Dairy Association (EDA)
In opdracht van het ministerie van IenM hebben we samen met RIVM een methode ontwikkeld om de belasting van de Nederlandse voedselconsumptie op een zestal milieuaspecten (klimaatverandering, landgebruik, waterverbruik, verzuring, vermesting, bodemuitputting) kwantitatief te kunnen bepalen en in de toekomst te kunnen monitoren. Daarnaast is deze methode toegepast in een meting naar de milieubelasting van het huidige Nederlandse voedselconsumptiepatroon op die zes milieuaspecten.
In opdracht van Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) hebben we een trendanalyse uitgevoerd.
Dit rapport is het resultaat van een trendanalyse van de broeikaseffectscores van Nederlandse dierlijke productieketens, zuivel, varkens en pluimvee in relatie tot ingezet en nieuw beleid in Nederland en het buitenland. Daarnaast is er een verkennende analyse gemaakt van hoe de broeikaseffectscores van de Nederlandse dierlijke productieketens zich verhouden tot die in het buitenland. De trendanalyse omvat de peiljaren 1990, 2012, 2020, 2030 en 2050 en moet beschouwd worden als een realistisch scenario waarbij de productieketens zich ontwikkelen naar meer milieu-efficiënte productie gestimuleerd door Europees en nationaal milieubeleid.
Het resultaat is een houtskoolschets die uiteraard verfijnd kan worden. Het vormt een goede basis voor een verdere monitoring van voortgang in broeikaseffect van dierlijke productieketens.
Blonk Consultants heeft voor Natuur & Milieu onderzocht hoe een gezond en duurzaam eetpatroon voor Nederland ingevuld kan worden. Het resultaat is het Menu van Morgen, dat inzicht geeft in het gewenste Nederlandse eetpatroon voor 2030.
In opdracht van de Nederlandse Zuivel Organisatie (NZO) heeft Blonk Consultants onderzoek gedaan naar de milieueffecten van de vervanging van melk, yoghurt, kaas en andere zuivelproducten in onze voeding.
Wageningen UR Livestock Research and Blonk Consultants have investigated if soybean products from South American can be replaced by protein sources produced in Europe in a sustainable way. Based on data from literature, and based on the systematics of the FeedPrint programme, the nutritional value and the Carbon footprint (CFP) of these protein sources is determined. These protein sources are used in feed optimizations of a starter diet for pigs, thereby maintaining the nutritional value of the diet. Subsequently, the Carbon footprint of the grower diet is calculated.
The Dutch Product Board for Animal Feeds (PDV) and the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture commissioned Blonk Consultants and WUR for the project “Carbon Footprint of Animal Nutrition”. The primary goal of this project was that stakeholders gain insight in the greenhouse gas emissions of the animal feed production chain.
Blonk Consultants gathered the primary and secondary data about cultivation and industrial processing. The results are described in separate reports.
There is also a methodology document for quantification of the greenhouse gas emissions of the production and utilization of animal feeds, as has been used in the tool: Feedprint.
Throughout Europe diets are changing, and they’re impacting people and planet: this is, in a nutshell, the conclusion of the first report produced for the LiveWell for LIFE project. The report, prepared by The Dutch Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum) and Blonk Consultants, investigates the eating behaviours in Spain, France and Sweden – the project’s pilot countries. It then compares these findings to what the people in these countries should be eating, according to their national dietary guidelines and answers the following questions:
Results from this report show that current dietary habits in Spain, France and Sweden have progressed from traditional food patterns towards more average Western diets, with too little wholegrain cereals, legumes, fruit and vegetables. Intake of red meat and high-calorie processed foods has increased.
In the next stage of the LiveWell for LIFE project we will be using this information along with greenhouse gas emission data to develop the LiveWell Plate – a tool that can demonstrate what sustainable diets could look like for different European countries.
Between 2004 and 2010 TransForum participated in more than thirty projects to improve the sustainability of agro-production. As this period draws to an end, TransForum wants to review and assess the sustainability performance of the projects they were involved in. Blonk Consultants evaluated the sustainability performances of 9 initiatives. In order to do so, we have developed a unique methodology. This methodology is presented in a methodology report.The method is based on a consistent framework that builds on several important existing methodologies and standards, such as life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental impact assessment (EIA) and global reporting of sustainability (GRI). It consists of an extensive set of indicators and a method for scoring these indicators. We are confident that the chosen approach gives accurate results for the most important indicators in our method. For some indicators, the approach needs to be developed further.
In 2008 and 2009 Blonk Consultants, Agro Information Partners and LEI-WUR (Agricultural Economic Research Institute) developed a methodology, a protocol and a calculation tool for assessing carbon footprints of horticultural products. The project was commissioned by Productschap Tuinbouw (Dutch Product Board for Horticulture) and Ministerie van LNV (Dutch Ministry of Agriculture). This resulted in a report including analysis and recommendations of state of the art methodologies, which was published in early 2009. However, international accessibility of the report was limited, because it was written in Dutch. Many requests to translate the report into English resulted in the present translated report.
Blonk Consultants and the Nederlandse Vegetariërsbond (Dutch Vegetarian Association) have studied the consequences of substituting vegetable proteins for animal proteins in the Dutch diet of protein-rich food products. Our research focused on the environmental impacts: the greenhouse effect and land use activities, with possible biodiversity impacts. With regard to the animal welfare issue we quantified the animals kept according to different substitution scenarios.
Gezamenlijk met de sector en de Raad voor Ondernemend Nederland heeft Blonk Consultants in 2013/2014 vier studies uitgevoerd die de ontwikkeling in milieuperformance van de Nederlandse dierlijke productie monitoren.
In opdracht van het ministerie van IenM hebben we samen met RIVM een methode ontwikkeld om de belasting van de Nederlandse voedselconsumptie op een zestal milieuaspecten (klimaatverandering, landgebruik, waterverbruik, verzuring, vermesting, bodemuitputting) kwantitatief te kunnen bepalen en in de toekomst te kunnen monitoren. Daarnaast is deze methode toegepast in een meting naar de milieubelasting van het huidige Nederlandse voedselconsumptiepatroon op die zes milieuaspecten.
In dit verkennend onderzoek is aan de hand van 6 voedselpatronen verkend hoe milieueffecten, dierenwelzijn en gezondheid van voeding zich tot elkaar verhouden. Het doel van het onderzoek was om dilemma’s en potenties aan het licht te brengen ter ondersteuning van de Gezondheidsraad die verzocht is advies uit te brengen over richtlijnen Duurzame Voeding.
Blonk Consultants heeft voor Cono Kaasmakers een duurzaamhiedsanalyse gedaan rond de mengvoeders van melkvee. De dierlijke productiesector en verwerkende industrie krijgen steeds meer te maken met maatschappelijke aandacht voor de duurzaamheid van hun productie en producten. Belangrijke thema’s die spelen zijn klimaatverandering, druk op biodiversiteit, dierenwelzijn etc. CONO Kaasmakers wil op deze ontwikkeling anticiperen door de mogelijkheden te onderzoeken van een klimaatneutrale kaas.
Blonk Consultants heeft, in opdracht van het Productschap Tuinbouw, een methodiek ontwikkelt waarmee broeikasgasemissies van allerlei tuinbouwproducten kunnen worden berekend voor de gehele keten (cradle to gate). Voor vele typische teelttoepassingen van de tuinbouw wordt aanbevolen op welke wijze de broeikasgasemissie moet worden berekend.
In 2008 heeft Blonk Milieu Advies in samenwerking met de vegetariërsbond en het LEI een onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de milieueffecten van een verschuiving van consumptie van dierlijke naar plantaardige eiwitten in de Nederlandse voeding. Daarbij is vooral de focus gelegd op het broeikaseffect en het ruimtebeslag en de mogelijke biodiversiteitseffecten daarvan. Daarnaast is er meer kwalitatief aandacht besteed aan andere effecten zoals dierenwelzijn en de effecten van een consumptiestop van dierlijke producten op de productiekolom van dierlijke producten in Nederland.