www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr

Ministère de l'Écologie, du Développement durable et de l’Énergie

Crédit photo : Arnaud Bouissou/MEDDE

Environmental sustainability in the food chain:

last developments in France and European perspectives

Florence Scarsi

French Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meeting

November 20, 2013

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

I. The French scheme « affichage environnemental »: quick recap

II. Technical developments (methodologies and data) in the food sector

III. Learning from the French experimentation led in 2011-2012 and perspectives

IV. French project and European perspectives

Presentation outline

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

Consumers ask the display of environmental information on products Need to preserve ecosystems Many initiatives leading to confusion

=> A harmonized scheme to acton demand and supply

Main principles: Life cycle approach Multicriteria approach (C footprint + other

significant impacts of the product)

I) The French scheme: quick recap (1/2)

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

Legislative basis: 2 “Grenelle” laws: set targets and ensure implementation

A multi-stakeholders’ platform: methodological expertise and guides, normalization, cost-sharing

A public generic database available on-line

National experimentation: feasibility, coordination of business, learning  

Sharing methodological developments at the European level... and beyond: convergence, harmonization

I) The French scheme: quick recap (2/2)

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

II) Technical developments (1/3):the French food and pet food repository Adopted in April, 2012 Functional unit: per 100 mg or ml, or portion 3 main issues and related indicators:

Consensus-based adopted rules, conventions Sub-sectorial developments: PCRs adopted for

dairy products and coffee + on-going work for others sub-sectors (e.g. vegetal oils)

Climate GHG emissons

Water Water use

EutrophicationEco-toxicity

Biodiversity?

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

II) Technical developments (2/3):food data

On French agricultural productions, AGRIBALYSE: 137 LCI (ILCD format) available since October, 2013:http://www2.ademe.fr/servlet/KBaseShow?sort=-1&cid=96&m=3&catid=25508

3 years program led by ADEME, INRA, ART and French agricultural technical institutes

On food processing: new project ACYVIA (2013-15) led by ADEME, Quantis, ART and French technical institutes (French scope)

Participation of ADEME to WFLDB (World Food Life Cycle DataBase) with Quantis, ART and companies Technical scope: agriculture & food processing International scope: complementary to AGRIBALYSE and ACYVIA

=> need more LCI/LCA at EU and international levels

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

II) Technical developments(3/3):proposed indicators

Climate change Water (quantity, quality)

Biodiversity

Biodiversity, an indicator based on landscape features:

Strong link between biodiversity and farming Already used in existing agricultural policies (e.g. CAP) Access to the data Fair approximation of biodiversity, including loss or impacts but also positive contribution to biodiversity

ADEME-AFNOR platform= (will be) in line with PEF Carbon (de)-sequestration ?Specific study

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

III) Learning from the experiment (1/3)principles of the experiment, recap

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

Interest for the scheme is confirmed: Success, Feasibility: 90% of participants went

to the end of the experiment, 75% want to continue

Call for display of environmental information by consumers

Source of environmental performance, competitivity, innovation, dialogue

Capacity building and boosting expertise

Need to keep working: LCA : standardized, quantified, multiple issues Multi-criteria European scale

III) Learning from the experiment (2/3)

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

Generalization is possible under conditions: Technical support (harmonized methodologies,

free database, calculation tools) Cost control (database) Reliability of information given (methodologies,

controls and certification scheme) Harmonization of formats Training, education and information on the scheme

a progressive approach, voluntary as a first step, to be discussed with stakeholders (several options)

New ! Government report sent to the French Parliament: http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/spip.php?

page=article&id_article=35652

III) Learning from the experiment (3/3)

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

Perspectives on European Commission PEF

France very much welcome of Product Environmental Footprint guide (PEF) and Single Market for Green Products package

Welcome too of ENVIFOOD Protocol and Food SCP Round Table initiative

BPX (and PCRs in France): an operational document for specific objectives...

…coherent with PEF and ENVIFOOD P.

current revision process of BPX 30-323 seeks to promote further alignment to PEF

policy: will seek to articulate with EU calendar and developments whenever possible and relevant

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

http://www.developpem ent-durable.gouv.fr/experim entation-affichage

Please visit us:English page:

http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Product-Environmental-Footprint.html

AFNOR and platform ADEME-AFNOR websites (BPX-30-323, PCR):

http://www.afnor.org/http://affichage-environnemental.afnor.org/referentiels-sectoriels-pcr/liste-des-referentiels-sectoriels

Food SCP Round Table’s plenary meetingNovember 20, 2013

Thank you for your attention!

Contact:Florence Scarsi

tel: +33 1 40 81 85 12

florence.scarsi@developpem ent-durable.gouv.fr