Eco-design

Improve your production systems and your range of food products

One of the main purposes of the AGRIBALYSE® program is to provide data useful for eco-design initiatives undertaken by professionals in the agricultural and agrifood sectors (agricultural profession, agrifood industry, mass distribution, etc.).

Eco-design is an approach to improve the environmental performance of products. It is one of the pillars of the Circular Economy, to move towards a more "sustainable" production. Eco-design aims to integrate the environmental dimension into product design and development, with the aim of reducing impacts throughout the life cycle, while maintaining the quality of use of the product (sanitary, organoleptic, etc.). ).

In practice, for the food chains, this corresponds to identify the key stages as well as the levers of progress to reinforce the environmental performance in the modes of production, manufacture and distribution of food. The analysis is based on different tools, including life cycle analyzes to quantify the environmental challenges and gains achievable, then prioritize them.

Detailed data available via LCA software, to prioritize areas for progress and facilitate eco-design

AGRIBALYSE® data is intended to serve as a reference for all stakeholders, and help them to build progress approaches in companies and sectors, based on recognized benchmarks.

The data can enable them to prioritize the stages and levers of action with regard to environmental issues in eco-design approaches, and to quantify and highlight the progress made. It is possible to make analyzes on a case-by-case basis (factory by factory, product by product) but also to work on more collective approaches to improve environmental performance around quality charters, names and brand dynamics.

The complete database providing all the indicators for all the products is available in the formats specific to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data. These detailed data are freely accessible, without additional license, via two ACV software (SimaPro and openLCA).

This full version allows you to access all the hypotheses, and to adapt the default values. For people and organizations able to work with complete data, it then becomes possible to identify the main environmental challenges and test all types of improvement levers. Is it better to change my pizza dough recipe, my tomato supplier or work on a charter to improve farming practices for ham? what impact if I switch to renewable energy in my factory and or if I reduce my packaging?

This work of modifying parameters requires skills about LCA software and an understanding of the structuring of databases. Training courses exist as well as specialized service providers on the support of these procedures.

" AGRIBALYSE is a very useful reference tool and method for improving the performance of agricultural and food systems in relation to major environmental issues. The data is fairly complex to interpret, and support is needed to ensure that it is used correctly. Details will gradually be added, with the expertise of the technical institutes, to make certain data in the database even more reliable".

Emeric Emonet, Head of the Agroecology, Systems and Sustainability Unit at ACTA - the agricultural technical institutes

"Cristal Union has always placed environmental requirements at the heart of its policy. Agribalyse is a valuable tool that contributes to our CSR strategy. We use it in our various Life Cycle Analysis and eco-design projects. It provides a solid reference for meeting the expectations of our customers and consumers, and strengthens our position in relation to the competition."

Julien Coignac, Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator, Cristal Union Group

Improving the environmental quality of food products

The AGRIBALYSE database is one of a number of tools designed to support companies wishing to take steps to improve the environmental performance of their products. ADEME supports these companies through the GREENGO programme.