Comparison of Carbon Footprint Analysis Methods in Grain Processing—Studies Using Flour Production as an Example

Abstract

Rational energy management in food production is one of the key actions in the context of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ongoing rapid climate change and global warming are making energy consumption an increasingly critical point in food production, throughout the “farm-to-table” manufacturing chain. The carbon footprint (CF) can be used to assess the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the area of food cultivation, production and distribution. The work purpose was to characterize the CF methodology on the basis of literature data, to analyze manufacturing processes in production plants to determine the shares of each type of emissions for selected products and to identify directions for optimizing technology (the scope of analysis—from raw material input to product output). A literature analysis of agriculturally important grain products was undertaken. Methods of carbon footprint analysis were analyzed. There is no standardized methodology for a given product group, with individual approaches designed for each product group existing in the literature. PAS 2050 is the most common standard focused on quantifying GHG emissions created during the life cycle of specific goods/services, without considering potential environmental, social and economic impacts.

Keywords

• carbon footprint calculation
• greenhouse gas emissions
• grain industry
• climate change
• food production