How much of an impact do the ingredients we use in the kitchen have? To find out, we've created a sustainability indicator for the recipes published on lifegate.it, starting today. Discover with us how many planets each recipe earns!
LifeGate, as part of the I Feel Food project on sustainable eating and drawing on the expertise of Impatto Zero®, has developed an indicator that classifies each recipe according to its environmental impact.
The sustainability rating of each recipe is easy to identify thanks to small planet-shaped icons, ranging from zero to five: the more planets there are, the more "environmentally friendly" the recipe is. Five planets are awarded when sustainability is at its highest; just one planet when the environmental impact is significant (and therefore the recipe is not very sustainable).
The indicator summarises a complex analysis developed using the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methodology, governed at international level by the ISO 14040 standard and one of the most highly regarded in the scientific community. The study takes into account all stages of a food's supply chain, from agricultural production through to transport and distribution, and focuses on the Carbon Footprint — that is, the emissions of all greenhouse gases, whose contribution is determined by two factors: the actual quantity emitted and its impact, measured in terms of Global Warming Potential. Emissions are converted into a CO2 equivalent value using fixed parameters defined by the IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a body operating under the auspices of the United Nations.
All the food items listed in the recipes have therefore been assigned environmental impact values (per gram), to be multiplied by the specific quantities used. The recipe as a whole is then assessed by adding together the impact calculated for each individual ingredient.
The decision was made to express the assessment using a simple indicator in order to communicate the concept clearly to the reader. The underlying aim, beyond informing readers about the sustainability rating of recipes, is to raise awareness of the fact that every dish has an environmental impact behind it, and that food waste must therefore be combated in every possible way.
The environmental assessment algorithms for recipes were also developed and used by LifeGate at Expo 2015 through two major projects: Expo World Recipes and Cucina la Salute con Gusto.
Legend
Excellent (5 planets)
Very good (4 planets)
Good (3 planets)
Sufficient (2 planets)
Poor (1 planet)