Food production is a significant source of environmental impact. As an example, global food production leads to larger greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than global transport. Sustainable food production is not only about reducing GHG emissions. It is also about circular use of local resources, ensuring biodiversity and social conditions, reducing water consumption and providing a degree of self-sufficiency. An important condition for sustainable food is that the produced food is eaten instead of ending its life as food waste (see our research area Food Waste).

Often based on LCA methodology, NORSUS documents and analyses the environmental impacts of food products arising from both vegetable and animal resources. Social and economic sustainability topics are to an increasing degree addressed and the analyses are often related to the food’s nutritional value. The results lead to increased knowledge and contribute to improvements across all parts of the food products’ value chains, including effects of diet changes.