These updated international guidelines aim to harmonize methods for assessing the environmental impact of livestock farming systems, based on life cycle assessment (LCA) approaches and the latest scientific research.
Marie-Pierre Ellies-Oury contributed to the drafting of several sections, in particular on the consideration of animal product quality indicators in the assessment of livestock farming system performance.
Context: Towards a comprehensive and consistent environmental assessment
Livestock farming plays a major role in global food security, but it is also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and pressure on soil and water resources. In order to improve practices and guide public policy, it is essential to have standardized, scientifically robust, and internationally recognized methods for assessing the environmental impacts of animal production systems.
Since 2012, the FAO, through the LEAP Partnership, has been developing technical guidelines for researchers, decision-makers, and industries.
Main developments in this third version
- Methodological update: incorporation of the latest advances in LCA and environmental modeling
- Extension of indicators: inclusion of impacts such as water quality, biodiversity, and land use
- Product-based approaches: better consideration of the diversity of animal products (milk, meat, eggs, etc.) and co-products
- Link between the environment and product quality: integration of nutritional and sensory quality indicators to better link environmental impacts and the nutritional value of animal products
- Enhanced compatibility with international databases and ISO standards, facilitating comparison between systems and territories
Conclusions and perspectives
The book highlights the importance of a systemic, multi-criteria assessment to support the agroecological transition of livestock farming. It provides a harmonized framework for researchers, consultants, and decision-makers wishing to measure and compare the environmental performance of livestock farming systems at different scales.
These guidelines are now an essential reference for research projects, public policy, and environmental certification initiatives in the livestock sector.
To read the complete book:
https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/5eab1de4-8dff-41d7-b830-e4361ea58b8e