APS-footprint
Pathways to reducing the environmental impact of animal production systems
Animals remain a critical component of sustainable agriculture. Yet, it is becoming increasingly apparent that urgent efforts are needed globally to improve the environmental performance of animal-based products, such as meat, milk and eggs.
Blonk developed the APS-footprint tool to help stakeholders throughout the animal production value chain become more sustainable. This tool enables and inspires organizations to develop, apply and monitor proven solutions to reduce the environmental impact and create more sustainable products.
It includes complete life cycle assessment (LCA) functionality and generates comprehensible results. These results can be used for research & development, monitoring innovations, CSR or sustainability reporting and communication.
Is your company ready to lead the way into a sustainable future? Do you acknowledge:
The vast sustainability challenge of the animal production sector
The global production of animal-based products, like meat, milk and eggs, has a severe impact on the environment.
The urgent need for action
Urgent action is needed to reduce the environmental impact of our food.
The related business opportunities
A growing group of companies acknowledges that reducing the environmental impact of animal products is critical to stay in business on the long run.
Make your business more sustainable with APS-footprint
APS-footprint is a software solution that helps you define and monitor more sustainable animal production systems and reduce their environmental impact. It includes complete life cycle assessment (LCA) functionality and generates comprehensible results. These results can be used for research & development, monitoring innovations, CSR or sustainability reporting and communication.
The APS-footprint tool is built on years of experience in the field of agri-food LCA. As experts and leaders in agri-food LCA, we have conducted more than 500 LCA studies over the past 20+ years. We have developed international standards and rules for environmental calculation and built databases and LCA software tools. We put great effort into making APS-footprint accessible and tailored to your organisation's needs to turn it into a success.
Let's join forces to make animal production more sustainable
We realise that making animal production more sustainable is a global effort. Nobody knows better what the market needs than the industry leaders themselves. Therefore, we are looking for global leaders and pioneers in the animal production value chain who acknowledge the sustainability challenge, the need for action, and the related business opportunities. Together, we can combine our areas of expertise and create high-end products that help the industry become increasingly sustainable.
Is your company ready to lead the way into a sustainable future? Join us and discover the benefits of APS-footprint, a globally leading sustainability software solution for the animal production sector.
Why join us?
> Create a roadmap of LCA-based footprint reporting
Driven by your needs, we develop and implement a roadmap of LCA-based environmental footprint reporting for your company.
> Gain access to the APS-footprint tool
We connect you to our APS-footprint tool, allowing for state-of-the-art footprint calculations.
> Work with our LCA experts
You will benefit from working with our LCA experts, who have extensive experience assessing and advising on how the animal production sector can become more sustainable.
> Connect APS-footprint to your data management systems
We can connect and even implement APS-footprint into your company's data management systems thanks to our multidisciplinary team of LCA experts, data scientists and software engineers.
> Customize your use of APS-footprint
We create customized functionality of APS-footprint to serve your company's needs better.
> Bring managing footprint claims to the next level
We help bring the management of your footprint claims to the next level in a way that best suits your customers and your company.
Why did we develop APS-footprint?
The challenge of making the global production of environmentally intensive products such as meat, milk and eggs more sustainable is becoming increasingly urgent. The growing world population and the even faster growing demand for environmentally intensive products lead to the destruction of local and global natural capital. Natural areas are being reclaimed, agricultural land and water resources are degrading, and the climate is changing. The animal production value chain has a vast sustainability challenge. Urgent action is needed.
We developed the APS-footprint tool to help organisations like yours become increasingly sustainable. This flagship tool of Blonk Sustainability Tools enables and empowers organisations in the animal production value chain to develop and apply proven solutions to reduce their environmental impact and create more sustainable products.
Time for the next step
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the basis for this and allows a holistic and accurate sustainability assessment. An LCA gives insight into the entire life cycle of a product from cradle to grave, and shows where the environmental impacts take place. Recently, internationally recognized standards and guidelines for LCAs for the animal and feed sector have been developed. At the same time, joint efforts have been made leading to the development of a global LCA database that supports these standards.
With these two developments, it is now time for the next step: software that generates cross-sector comparable LCA insights. We took on this challenge during the past years, working on a new LCA software for Animal Production Systems. APS-footprint is the result.
Highlights of APS-footprint
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Web-based LCA software.
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Tailored to your needs.
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Compatible with your existing data management systems.
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Complete insight in your current environmental performance and possible improvements.
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Hotspot analysis showing which lifecycle stages and parameters define your impact.
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Possibility to run numerous "What if..." scenarios to explore how to improve your environmental performance.
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LCA methodology according to the latest internationally recognized standards
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Assessment of 19 different environmental impact categories.
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Built on credible food, feed and agricultural databases, such as Agri-footprint and GFLI.
Scientific background of APS-footprint
Scientific credibility and sound results, which are internationally recognized, are the core of APS-footprint. Therefore, we follow the most relevant and up-to-date, internationally recognized guidelines in the calculation methodology of our tool. Also, we are convinced that transparency is essential in the development of sustainable agri-food chains. Therefore, we created an APS-footprint methodology report, which is publicly available. It contains the generic principles and setup of the APS-footprint tool, such as the methodological framework. Besides that, for each animal production system module (dairy, poultry and pig) we have separate methodology reports available, with more specific information.
DSM – strategic partner of APS-footprint
We are very proud of our cooperation with globally leading sustainability companies. Together we can make big strides towards a sustainable world.
One of these global frontrunners is DSM, a multinational company specialized in nutrition, health and sustainable living. At DSM they are convinced it is possible to do well as a business by doing good in the world. Working with DSM as a strategic partner, we have been able to improve and develop the APS-footprint tool further. It allows DSM to generate consistent and reliable information on sustainability. To help their customers to improve the sustainability of their products, and deliver meaningful innovations, DSM launched an holistic animal protein sustainability service, called Sustell™. DSM's and Blonk's expertise come together in this joint service, in which APS-footprint is the core.
Sustell™ - cooperation around the APS-footprint tool
Sustell™ - an intelligent sustainability service that combines the most advanced environmental footprinting calculation tool with expert sustainability, animal production and nutritional knowledge to create tailor-made, practical solutions and business development projects that enhance the environmental sustainability and profitability of animal farming. Sustell™ is built around the APS-footprint, which functions as the core for the footprint calculations. Furthermore, Blonk contributes as independent expert partner for Sustell™. This ensures DSM to offer a truly unrivalled, objective service that really drives more sustainable food systems.
At DSM we strongly believe in sustainable food systems and that the livestock industry can transform itself from within to be a part of the solution. The We Make it Possible initiative details our ambition to play a key role in this transformation and work at species and country level, with our partners, to provide tangible, measurable and actionable solutions to create brighter lives for all. And you can only manage and improve what you measure. That’s why over the last 3 years we have been working with Blonk, experts in the field of agri foot-printing, in helping them develop and trial a robust and advanced solution to measure deeply and precisely the environmental footprints of animal production at the individual farm level. Applying the most up to date LCA guidelines and methodologies, the APS-footprint tool is key to enabling us to measure, understand and demonstrate to our customers the important and positive impacts that feed additives have in reducing the environmental footprints of animal proteins, helping our customers make measurable sustainability improvements.
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Related to APS-footprint
APS-footprint as core engine for Sustell™ – an intelligent sustainability service by DSM and Blonk
At Blonk, we are very proud of our cooperation with innovative companies that bring sustainable business into practice. DSM is for us a strategic partner in developing our flagship APS-footprint tool. For DSM the APS-footprint became the core engine of Sustell™, a recently launched holistic animal protein sustainability service.
Related to APS-footprint
Methodological exploration by Blonk and DSM
Together with DSM we set up a methodological study, by way of road testing, to explore the applicability of sector Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) guidelines, such as FAO LEAP and European Commission Product Environmental Footprint (EC PEF). In APS-footprint we modeled nutritional interventions, specifically the use of feed additives, and explored the effects. The study was externally reviewed by experts, according to the ISO 14044 LCA guidelines.
Related to APS-footprint
APS-footprint update
We are delighted to share the latest APS-footprint developments with you. This time we'd like to give you an update about the recent launch of Sustell™ together with DSM, the release of a methodological study we performed on feed additives and LCA and the addition of the Annual Crops Module, which is a new feature of the APS-footprint tool. Lastly, we are very happy to introduce another APS-footprint team member to you!
Related to APS-footprint
APS-footprint update - towards more sustainable animal production
We are happy to share the latest APS-footprint developments with you. After our launch webinar on September 30th we received a lot of positive reactions from companies, that are recognizing the importance of making their business future-proof by incorporating sustainability. This update informs you about the latest APS-footprint developments. Also, we are giving you a sneak peek behind the scenes and introducing one of the developers to you!
More information
Get in touch
Marcelo Tyszler
Please contact Marcelo if you want more information on APS-footprint and its uses, or if you are interested in a license.