Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement (Jan 2015)
Bilan et apports de différentes Analyses Sociales du Cycle de Vie menées dans le secteur des agro-industries
Abstract
Assessment and contributions of different Social Life Cycle Assessments performed in the agribusiness sector. Introduction. Consumers are attaching increasing importance to the sustainability of the products they purchase. The agribusiness sector is well aware of this trend and is making efforts to guarantee product sustainability. Literature. Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) is a widely used methodology (like others in this field, such as ISO 26000 and SA 8000) for evaluating the social impact of the activities involved in the life cycle of a product. The S-LCA guidelines were published in 2009 and therefore the framework for this methodology is not yet well established. Nevertheless, some S-LCA studies have been completed and have contributed to the development of the methodology. The objective of this paper is to give feedback to the agribusiness sector and researchers regarding prospects for future use of Social Life Cycle Assessment in the agribusiness sector. Papers selected for this literature review have been chosen on the basis of Scopus's query from 2000 to the present day. Scopus's query contains analyses of major international conferences. The case studies in the agribusiness sector that are reviewed in this paper highlight the usefulness of a social hotspots database, the need for stakeholder involvement in S-LCA implementation, the link between S-LCA and its regional context, and the benefits of developing causal links between indicators and impact categories, such as working conditions and governance. Conclusions. Further methodological investigation needs to be conducted in order to standardize this new methodology. Its ability to provide an overview of assessment of socioeconomic impacts makes it a good choice for evaluating the aspect of social impact as part of sustainability studies.
