Ecolabel food: game changer for more sustainable food

More and more initiatives are developing food ecolabels to compare the environmental impact of all food products. An ecolabel is a good tool to better understand the sustainability of the food chain, help consumers make more sustainable choices and encourage producers to produce in a more environmentally friendly way.

Compare based on environmental score

To map the environmental impact of food, it is necessary to collect impact data. Various methods and tools are currently used to collect and interpret that data. It is essential to develop a single measurement system for nutrition sustainability to harmonise data and interpretation. By harmonising, a uniform score per product can be achieved. This makes it possible to compare the environmental impact of all foods, not only within a product category, but also between different product categories.

Harmonised data as a game changer

Collecting data in a harmonised way is not only valuable for a food ecolabel. The product-specific data behind the environmental scores can also be used for other purposes.

CSRD reporting (scope 3)

From the financial year 2024, the 50,000 largest organisations within the EU will be required to report on greenhouse gas emissions from the entire chain (scope 3). This means that not only these 50,000 organisations, but also their chain partners need to collect and provide data. Fortunately, many organisations already report their scope 3 emissions on a voluntary basis, such as through Science Based Targets initiative. The data collected to calculate the environmental score per product is very useful for the mandatory CSRD reporting.

Rewarding sustainable producers

Company- and product-specific data enable organisations to align their financial conditions with sustainability risks. For example, it will be possible to reward farmers and suppliers for ingredients produced more sustainably. For instance, a dairy company that collects data at farm level can pay a higher price to farmers who supply sustainable milk. This provides an incentive to continuously improve, resulting in a sustainable quality product.

Reduction saves costs

If the environmental impact of a product is known, the product can be improved. The product-specific data show where the focal points are and therefore where the most gains can be made. This often involves reduction: using less energy, less packaging material, fewer raw materials, saving water or being more efficient with transport. These reduction measures often also yield significant cost savings.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a food ecolabel mean?

A food ecolabel is a way of indicating how much impact a food has on the environment. By displaying the environmental score on the packaging, you can see exactly which foods have more or less environmental impact.

What are the benefits of a food ecolabel?

A food ecolabel has benefits for consumers and organisations alike. It clarifies the impact of food on the environment, allowing us to produce and consume in a more environmentally friendly way.

How is a food ecolabel different from traditional ecolabels?

An LCA-based food ecolabel is different from traditional ecolabels such as organic and Planet Proof because it will be available for all food products. Traditional ecolabels are only awarded to products that are more sustainable than similar products based on certain conditions. Instead, the food ecolabel scores all products. This will make it possible to compare all food products, both within one product category and between different product categories.

Why could a food ecolabel be a game changer?

A food ecolabel could be of great significance in reducing the footprint of our food, because of the underlying harmonised footprint calculations. In this way, we can reduce negative impacts on the environment, climate and natural resources. Want to know more? Read the research LCA-based labelling systems: a game changer for making food production and consumption more sustainable within Europe (in Dutch).

How does a food ecolabel help make our food more sustainable?

A food ecolabel encourages producers to opt for more sustainable production methods and encourages consumers to consume in a more environmentally friendly way. It promotes transparency, harmonisation and traceability in the food chain. This leads to awareness and greater understanding of the sustainability of food production and consumption. This knowledge can be used to improve processes.

What developments are taking place around food ecolabels?

There are all sorts of initiatives around food ecolabels and developments are moving fast. A variety of private labels already exist, but they have different principles and are therefore difficult to compare. At European level, a project to develop a harmonised label was launched in November 2023. France is spearheading this project as it has already built up a database and plans to implement a food ecolabel in the near future. Read more about the Life ECO FOOD CHOICE project.

What are the developments around a unified food ecolabel in the Netherlands?

Footprint calculations are not straightforward. To support companies in the Dutch food chains, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature set up the Footprint working group. The working group is led by Wageningen University & Research. The working group includes representatives from supermarket chains, food processing companies, feed suppliers and knowledge institutions such as Milieu Centraal and RIVM. In 2023, the working group started the further development of the existing RIVM environmental database (in Dutch). This builds on the French Ecobalysis tool. The project group is trying to align as much as possible with what is happening at European level so that we are prepared for a harmonised system in the future.

How is the environmental score calculated?

The Ecolabel being developed by the working group is based on the PEF methodology. This is a method developed by the European Commission to calculate the footprint of products. PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) uses life cycle assessment (LCA) according to a set of rules per product category. In the Netherlands, a database is now being developed with the average environmental impact of the 3,000 most important products according to this PEF methodology. This database is planned to be ready by 2025. Organisations then only need to indicate how their product differs from the average product in order to calculate their score.

The final environmental score results from a weighted average of 16 environmental themes, such as greenhouse gas emissions and water and land use.

How does an environmental score help with CSRD (scope 3) reporting?

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires large organisations to report on sustainability. This requires mapping the greenhouse gas emissions of all products in a company. This complex indicator is calculated using life cycle analysis (LCA), which provides insight not only into the environmental impact in the company's own operations (scope 1) and the impact of the energy used by the company (scope 2), but also into the impact of products and activities throughout the value chain (scope 3).

By using the ecolabel scores of all their products, companies can report on this complex indicator in a relatively simple way. Companies can also use the data behind the ecoscore to measure the effect of measures they have taken together with suppliers to reduce environmental impact. Indeed, many companies have adopted a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the chain in the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi). Using the ecoscore, they can measure progress.

Measuring environmental impact: how are other organisations doing it?

Initially, companies are often focused on their own impact (scope 1 and 2). To extend this information with data from the entire chain (scope 3), organisations are embarking on life-cycle analyses (LCA).

Wondering how far along other organisations are with this? In the online inspiration session 'Harmonised measurement of environmental impact with PEF', FrieslandCampina, GroentenFruit Huis, Vion and Dutch Brewers Association shared their methods and experiences. Watch the webinar (in Dutch).

Updates from the working group

Read the October 2024 update

The fourteenth consultation of the footprint working group covered the following topics:

The working group was updated on developments around footprinting and ecolabelling in Europe. Several alliances have been formed in Europe in which groups of companies are working jointly on implementation and harmonisation. WUR is involved in all initiatives. With Impact Buying, for example, we are working with almost all Dutch retailers on piloting a number of private tools. The European Commission is reflecting on the future of PEF in which WUR is also heavily involved. They will launch a new database (EF 4.0) in 2026 that will be free for all to use.
Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fishers, Food Security and Nature’s food policy to be reviewed early next year
The Strategic Dialogue opinion on future EU agricultural policy prominently includes measurement with KPIs on all farms
The project on building the RIVM average environmental impact database for 3,000 products is progressing steadily. The same goes for the European Eco Food Choice project in which European ecolabel standard is being developed. The timing of the projects is becoming more closely aligned, allowing us in the Netherlands to respond to European agreements
The group was updated on the relationship between CSRD and PEF. PEF may be used for CSRD but other less strict guidelines such as GHG protocol may also be used
PS in Foodservice and Foodsteps presented their footprinting application for the food service industry. This will make footprints for 180,000 companies available to all food service companies

Read the July 2024 update

The 13th consultation of the footprint working group covered the following topics:

Footprint working group composition. Participants have been added to the working group from the primary sector (LTO) and wholesale (Instock and Bidfood). Some members who often did not show up became agenda members.
Eco Food Choice project update. The preliminary results of the comparison of leading European Ecolabel projects were presented. This includes public, private and non-profit initiatives. Ecolabels are being implemented on an increasing scale.
Updates on expansion of Dutch Environment Database. Working group members made several suggestions for additions to the list of products to be included in the database.
Vision for management European Ecolabel. It would be most efficient to have 1 European platform where the methodology and database with average impact data of all food products, would be managed. Several options were discussed how such a platform could be organised and what the role of Dutch working group footprint would then be.
Next meeting 24 October 10:00-12:00 virtual.

Read the April 2024 update

The 12th consultation of the footprint working group included the following topics:

Footprint working group composition. Some groups such as wholesale and primary agriculture are not well represented yet, so we will try to recruit new members from these groups.
Update Eco Food Choice (EFC) project developing European harmonised ecolabel. The project started with, among other things, a comparison of 16 private and public LCA-based ecolabelling initiatives in Europe.
Status of developing the environmental database with average environmental scores for 3,000 products. The selection of the 3,000 products to enter the database is almost complete. Data collection has begun.
Harmonised methodology to measure environmental impact based on EU standard Product Envirionmental Footprint. There is a first version of the methodology that will soon be submitted to reviewer.
External Communication activities: Activities included organising a conference in Brussels, running a course for the food processing industry together with FNLI and Wageningen Academy, and building a website.
Next consultation 4 July 2024 and an update will take place on this site shortly thereafter.

Take the first step towards a better environmental score

A good environmental score starts with understanding the environmental impact per product. The best method to understand the total environmental impact is a life cycle assessment (LCA). This method examines the full life cycle of a product: extraction of raw materials, production, transport, use and disposal. This makes it immediately clear where the focal points are, allowing targeted reduction measures to be implemented.

Sustainability is high on the political agenda, and more and more laws and regulations are emerging. It is therefore wise to start collecting and managing data around sustainability now. Bringing together company-specific data and data from the chain (secondary data) can be quite a challenge. Moreover, the data make it possible to optimise products so that they achieve a good environmental score. Another great advantage of becoming more sustainable is that more efficient use of resources, energy and raw materials often results in cost savings.

About working group Footprint

The Footprint Working Group was set up by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. The working group includes the following organisations: ABN AMRO, Agrifirm, ANEVEI, Avebe, Bidfood, CBL, Central Organisation for the Meat Sector (COV), Cosun, Delinuts, Do It Organic, DSM, FNLI, FrieslandCampina, GroentenFruit Huis, HAK, Hutten, InStock, Lidl, LTO, Milieu Centraal, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, MVO - The Netherlands Oils and Fats Industry, NEPLUVI, Rabobank, RIVM, Superunie, Unilever, Wageningen University & Research (chair), Association of Dutch Brewers, Association of Soft Drinks, Waters and Juices, Vion.

The Footprint Working Group was originally set up to follow up on the Climate Agreement (link in Dutch), which states that the climate impact of all individual food products in the Netherlands should become transparent. The working group quickly concluded that the focus on climate could come at the expense of other environmental themes. Therefore, the working group decided to work on mapping the broader environmental impact.

The Netherlands is not the only country working on reducing the environmental impact of food. Therefore, the working group uses a harmonised standard for calculating footprints adopted by the European Commission: the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). It defines methods to measure 16 different environmental themes and combine individual scores to arrive at an overall score. Through international alignment, we can work towards harmonised footprint calculations within Europe.

The main activities of the working group are:

Developing a PEF-based methodology building on existing specific methodologies for different product categories as much as possible. Inconsistencies are corrected, allowing comparisons between product categories. The methodology is also made applicable to all food categories. In addition, the working group is exploring how environmental themes that are not yet sufficiently covered can also be measured.
The further development of the existing RIVM environmental database (link in Dutch) to make the environmental burden of Dutch food transparent and to enable the sustainability of our food supply to be steered.