Researchers from the AZTI-Tecnalia Environmental Improvement and Processes Department presented the results of some of their sustainability projects for the food industry within the framework of the "7th International Conference on Life Cycle Analysis in the Agricultural and Food Industry", held from 22 to 24 September in the Italian city of Bari.
The exhibition (two oral presentations and one poster) focused on the progress made and the most important conclusions drawn by the technology centre in relation to three projects aimed at developing healthier, safer and more sustainable food products.

Firstly, the AZTI representatives presented an environmental assessment of cod fishing by the Basque fleet. The conclusions of the study indicate that the environmental impact of this fishing activity is mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels. Consequently, a series of improvements were proposed for the design of the vessel hull and motors, as a means of ensuring greater energy efficiently in the fishing fleet.

The second presentation focused on an environmental comparison of the use of conventional and emerging food preservation technologies. The conclusions of the study carried out by the technology centre, which specialises in food research, indicate the possibilities offered by new preserving technologies, particularly those related to high-pressure treatments, including one food processing method that is more sustainable than its conventional counterpart.

Finally, the researchers presented the results of a comparative study of organic and conventional tomato and potato crops. The main conclusion drawn was that the use of pesticides and fertilisers is the phase with the greatest environmental impact. Organic fertiliser was proposed as a viable alternative for reducing this impact.

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)

The results of the research projects carried out were obtained by means of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), an assessment method which has been applied to agricultural and food systems for over 15 years now, with the aim of finding possible means of producing and consuming sustainable food products. LCA identifies the principal environmental impacts throughout the production chain and facilities decision making based on the criterion of sustainability.

Meeting of sustainability experts

The International Conference on Life Cycle Analysis in the Agricultural and Food Industry has been held regularly since 1996, and offers scientists and business and administrative representatives working in the field of food sustainability the opportunity to meet and share thoughts and concerns.

In 2010, the conference focused on showing the very latest advances made in relation to methodology, approaches, databases and other tools, as well as on presenting practical applications of the LCA method in agricultural and food systems and consumer patterns. Similarly, the aim was also to foster the use of LCA and other sustainability tools in food products, and to support the exchange of information and experiences in relation to sustainability-based decision making in the food chain.

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