Reducing the environmental impact of the food industry

The challenge

The food sector needed a simple yet rigorous tool to facilitate the environmental assessment of its products.

The challenge involved:

• Integrating the PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) methodology into an intuitive digital tool capable of calculating impacts across 16 environmental categories, in line with European standards.

• Managing large volumes of complex data, including full life cycle inventories (raw materials, transport, industrial processes) for multiple products and scenarios.

• Scaling down and simplifying a highly technical scientific model, transforming it into software accessible to companies of all sizes without losing accuracy.

• Developing the Enviroscore® system to translate complex environmental results into a clear A–E scale for transparent communication to consumers.

• Ensuring digital security and traceability, guaranteeing data protection and interoperability with other business systems in compliance with European regulations.

The solution

ENVIRODIGITAL, developed by AZTI, provides a digital tool designed to measure, analyse and reduce the environmental footprint of agri-food products. Based on the PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) methodology recommended by the European Union, it enables the calculation of impacts across 16 categories (fossil resource use, human toxicity, emissions, etc.).

The results

• Accurate measurement of the environmental footprint of agri-food products using the PEF methodology across more than 16 impact categories.

• Implementation of the Enviroscore® system to classify products on an A–E sustainability scale.

• Process optimisation in pilot companies, leading to reduced energy consumption and emissions.

• Development of eco-design scenarios to improve packaging, transport and raw materials.

• Digitalisation of environmental traceability through an intuitive tool that facilitates compliance with European regulations and enhances sector competitiveness.

• Agreement with NEIKER to promote ENVIRODIGITAL as an environmental improvement tool across the entire agri-food value chain.

• SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS COMPANIES IN THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR
  • Aromaña Txakolina, SL: Through the Envirodigital tool, the company has assessed the environmental footprint of its products across the entire value chain, from grape production to consumption and end-of-life. As a result, 10 out of the 11 wines marketed under its own brand have achieved an A rating (very low environmental impact) under the Enviroscore® environmental labelling system, while the remaining wine has obtained a B rating (low impact).