The Use of Life Cycle Assessment in Food Applications : The Perspective of Swedish Supermarkets

Sammanfattning

Global food production places significant demands on the environment, contributing to climate change and environmental degradation. The transition to sustainable production and consumption systems is therefore critical in meeting the food demands of growing populations while preserving the ecosystem. Supermarkets, as intermediaries between suppliers and consumers, play an important role in promoting sustainable consumption. However, their profit-driven nature has frequently stifled genuine change. The use of tools, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) has recently boomed in the food industry to help combat negative effects of food production. However, the complexity and variability of food production, as well as the tools’ technopolitical considerations, complicate their application to the food value chain, requiring a critical approach. The thesis explored the intersection of these two topics, specifically the sustainability initiatives of Swedish supermarkets and the role of the life cycle perspective in them. The study found that the life cycle perspective does not currently play a significant role in Swedish supermarkets’ sustainability initiatives, with applications primarily limited to generic carbon footprint data. Furthermore, supermarkets were found to promote a weak model of sustainable consumption, with their transformative potential limited by consumer demand and the desire for profit. Nonetheless, the findings revealed a shift in retailer attitudes relative to previous research, with greater recognition of their responsibility and sustainability initiatives in procurement. While more comprehensive and drastic approaches are required for the long-term transformation of the food value chain, shared initiatives and increased standardisation show promise in bringing actors together to achieve this goal.