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AGRIBALYSE data can be accessed in different formats.
a simplified version, accessible to all
a full version, which requires the use of LCA software.
AGRIBALYSE® data are relatively complex, and users are advised to consult the "User Guide" (avaible only in french) and, more generally, the methodological documentation in order to facilitate the interpretation of the work.
Life cycle inventories (=LCIs)
Lifecycle Inventories (LCIs) are models of each stage in the lifecycle leading to the finished product (the product consumed by the consumer in the case of food products, or the product leaving the farm in the case of agricultural products). These data are available in the LCA software packages SimaPro, Brightway and OpenLCA. This data is used to display production information (details of agricultural production, yields from the various processing stages, etc.). This data is free of charge and can be adapted for use in LCA software. Remember to update the ‘characterisation methods’ in your software.
🌍SimaPro: download the complete LCI DB directly from the SimaPro platform. The ‘original’ version of Agribalyse is developed on Simapro: these are the reference values to be considered in the event of discrepancies in results with other software.
🌍Brightway (format provided by G. Coste, SustainCERT for ADEME): Import guide; Brightway general documentation; Agribalyse ICV database. Please note that some substances used by Agribalyse are not yet available in Brightway, which may lead to small discrepancies in some results.
🌍openLCA: free LCA software.
AGRIBALYSE version 3.2 is currently being implemented in LCA software. It should be available in early 2025. In the meantime, the version generated by ADEME in Simapro format is available on request.
AGRIBALYSE version 3.2 is currently being implemented in LCA software. It should be available in early 2025. In the meantime, the version generated by ADEME in Simapro format is available on request.
As AGRIBALYSE is available in disaggregated format in LCA software, and mobilizes ecoinvent background data (non-agricultural/food processes), use of AGRIBALYSE in such software requires an ecoinvent License (Academic, Commercial or Enterprise). Similarly, the integration of ecoinvent background processes present in Agribalyse into tools is subject to an ecoinvent License (Developer). For further information, please refer to the ecoinvent license conditions.
The environmental impacts of products (=impact indicators) calculated using the Environmental Footprint method
These impacts are available:
For finished products (products consumed by the consumer): via the Agribalyse online data exploration portal AND via an online spreadsheet on DATAVERSE AGRIBALYSE, which provides information on each of the 2,516 finished products: English names, French names, CIQUAL code, quality rating (DQR), environmental impacts of finished products, but also distinction by life cycle stage, and by ingredients for recipe-based products.
For raw agricultural products leaving the farm, via Excel spreadsheets on DATAVERSE AGRIBALYSE:
a spreadsheet for conventional raw agricultural produce (farm gate)
a spreadsheet for organic produce (farm gate)
a specific spreadsheet for animal feed (Ecoalim), also available on the INRAE website
In addition to Excel format, simplified versions for ready-to-eat food products are also available in data.ademe.fr :
CSV, in 3 files:
summary of results
detail by stage of life cycle stage
detail by ingredient
To access CSV files, click on the “Download data” icon on the right-hand side of the data.ademe page.
Complementary LCA data to Agribalyse can be identified in GLAD platform.
The Agribalyse database includes other partner databases.
The Agribalyse database draws on other partner databases for "background" data and on a number of products imported and consumed in France.
These are the following databases:
ecoinvent: an international, multi-sector LCA database
World Food Data Base: an international LCA database for food products (developed by Quantis and supported by major international food companies).
As AGRIBALYSE is available in disaggregated format in LCA software, and mobilizes ecoinvent background data (non-agricultural/food processes), use of AGRIBALYSE in such software requires an ecoinvent License (Academic, Commercial or Enterprise). Similarly, the integration of ecoinvent background processes present in Agribalyse into tools is subject to an ecoinvent License (Developer). For further information, please refer to the ecoinvent license conditions.
ADEME and ecoinvent have been working together for many years on the subject of LCA databases, particularly Agribalyse. This cooperation is based on a foundation of shared objectives and values, at the heart of the respective projects: transparency of work and documentation, scientific excellence, compliance with internationally recommended methodological frameworks, integrity of governance, data quality control, wide dissemination of environmental knowledge at the service of public and private players for the environmental transition.
The Agribalyse database is based on ecoinvent data for non-agricultural processes (e.g. electricity, transport, etc.) and for imported products (e.g. pineapple, tomato, Morocco, etc.). Thanks to Agribalyse, ecoinvent users can access a robust and relatively complete ICV ‘Food’ database, reflecting the production and market conditions of a European country.
The cooperation between ecoinvent and ADEME is aimed in particular at enabling :
pool efforts to develop new data and tools
improve methodologies and ensure consistency between databases
increase the use of LCA data by all stakeholders in support of the environmental transition.
ecoinvent is a non-profit association founded by five Swiss research institutes with the aim of promoting and supporting the availability of environmental data worldwide. The association publishes and maintains the ecoinvent database.
The ecoinvent database is a documented and transparent life cycle inventory (LCI) database for thousands of products, covering a wide range of sectors at global and regional level. It currently contains over 18,000 datasets modelling human activities or processes. ecoinvent datasets contain information about the industrial or agricultural process they model, measuring the natural resources taken from the environment, the emissions released into water, soil and air, the products demanded by other processes (electricity) and, of course, the products, co-products and waste produced.
The ecoinvent database can be used in various types of environmental assessment, enabling users to better understand the environmental impacts of their products and services via software tools and applications.
Agribalyse is a knowledge basis and a methodological reference for environmental assessment. This basis feeds operational sectoral tools.
The work of Agribalyse is intended to be used for analytical work, and to be taken up by various awareness-raising and / or decision-making tools.
Operational tools are not developed directly within the Agribalyse program. Indeed, it is up to the players closest to the field to grasp the data, and to provide tools adapted to their context of use and decision (analysis of products or sectors for eco-design, collective catering, environmental communication, etc.) .
Tools using Agribalyse already exist, and others are intended to develop.
The database already provides data to other french databases such as and .
The Agribalyse database also mobilizes other partner databases, for so-called "background" data and data relating to a certain number of products imported and consumed in France, in particular and .
At the european level, Agribalyse data are used as references for french products in the PEF projet. The aims to provide commun rules and guidance for the evaluation of goods and services consumed in Europe. 8 guidances are now operational for the food sector (Beer, Dairy products, Animal feed, Oil olive oil, Bottled water, Pasta, Pet food, Wine).
Agribalyse Data are available within LCA softwares :
, leading software in LCA,
, an open source software,
Brightway, provided by SustainCERT for ADEME. Free LCA software that requires knowledge of the “Python” language. Users need an ecoinvent licence. For details on data use condition, check the website
, developped by the UN Environmental Program.
AGRIBALYSE data are used in operational environmental assessment tools for agricultural players:
®, the ecodesign software for agricultural production developed by INRAE and CIRAD.
Since 2010, the AGRIBALYSE® program has produced methodologies and reference data on the environmental assessment of agricultural and food products.
Climate change, ecological crisis: an agricultural and food transition is necessary.
In the service of sustainable food, the AGRIBALYSE® program offers methodologies and a panel of robust data on the environmental impact of agricultural and food products, to improve practices, from field to plate.
It provides indicators of the environmental impact of :
The main agricultural products produced in France,
the main food products consumed in France.
The database contains data on over 200 agricultural products and over 2,500 ready-to-eat foods. It covers both agricultural products (an apple) and processed products (applesauce, muffins, etc.). It covers also all product categories in the main sectors consumed in France. It includes food products produced abroad and imported (coffee, chocolate, etc.).
The indicators in the database are derived from Life Cycle Analyses. This is a :
multi-stage, taking into account all phases of the product life cycle,
multi-criteria, covering the different environmental issues associated with products.
At each stage of the chain, material, energy and pollutant emission balances are drawn up and aggregated in the form of a set of environmental indicators: 16 indicators are provided for each product. These are the indicators recommended by the European Commission (Product Environmental Footprint project).
It should be noted that all the environmental indicators are calculated for the manufacture of 1 kg of food product.
A single score is also proposed: this is the ‘EF single score’ recommended by the European Commission, calculated with weighting factors for each of the indicators mentioned opposite. The weighting takes into account both the relative robustness of each of these indicators and the environmental issues at stake. This score is an average score, which includes a certain arbitrariness concerning the weighting between the different indicators.
AGRIBALYSE®, this is :
All the indicators of the environmental impact of agricultural and food products provided as part of AGRIBALYSE® are published and regularly updated with a view to their widespread use.
The main uses are:
eco-design by professionals in the agricultural and agri-food sectors (farming profession, agri-food industry, mass distribution, etc.),
information for consumers and players in the food chain,
research and education
To find out more about the uses to which the data can be put, visit the dedicated sections:
The gradual construction of the database has involved around a hundred French and international experts in the agricultural, agri-food and environmental sectors. The methodologies and data were developed as part of a partnership to ensure their quality and transparency.
The first version of the database, published in 2014, focused on impacts linked to agricultural production. It was then gradually expanded to include all the sectors and stages in the food chain: processing (ACYVIA project), logistics (storage, transport, distribution), and the culinary preparation of dishes (cooking, defrosting).
Data from other international initiatives (Ecoinvent, World Food Database, Product Environmental Footprint) was also used, particularly for imported products.
For the current version, the main developments were shared between INRAE for the agricultural section and leading Life Cycle Assessment consultancies for the food section (Gingko 21, Sayari, Blonk consultants, P.Koch).
The work is continuing: methodological improvements and the development of new data are expected in the coming years.
To facilitate a cross-disciplinary approach, the food products available in the Agribalyse® database are the same as those in the Ciqual nutritional composition table, published by Anses. The same ingredients and foods are available in Agribalyse® as in the Ciqual nutritional composition table, managed by Anses. Users can therefore carry out cross-analyses on environmental and nutritional issues (comparison by dish, menu or recipe). For the same product, users can find its nutritional composition in the Ciqual table, and its environmental footprint in the Agribalyse® database.
The Ciqual food nutritional composition table is a dataset produced by the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES). It contains data on the nutritional composition (protein, carbohydrate, lipid, vitamin, mineral content, etc.) of more than 2,800 foods (soon to be 3,000). In the Ciqual table, as in Agribalyse®, we are talking about foods and not product references from a particular brand. For example, we will find plain yoghurt, representative of the overall market offer, and not yoghurt of brand X or Y.
®, software for calculating the environmental performance of ruminant farms, developed by the Institut de l'élevage (IDELE).
® the environmental management tool for pig farms, developed by the Institut du Porc (IFIP).
®, a tool for assessing the energy and GHG performance of field crop rotations, developed by Arvalis (l'institut du végétal), Terres Inovia, and the Beet Technical Institute.
®, the multi-criteria evaluation tool for cropping systems, developed by Arvalis - Institut du végétal, Terres Inovia, ITB and ACTA.
and , developed by CEREOPA, for simultaneously assessing the economic, environmental (GHG, energy, ammonia) and nutritional dimensions of farms.
: designed by O2m Lab in partnership with INRAE, it can be used to produce a multi-criteria environmental balance sheet on the farm. It provides a view at farm, workshop and farm output level for all animal and plant production; it can also be used to simulate reduction levers. A decision-making tool, it can be used to manage environmental performance on the farm.
, developed by Eco2Intitiative, which offers a method for calculating the environmental footprint of plates (environmental, nutritional, health and societal impacts).
, the free database on food products.
, developed by Basic, Terre de liens and FNAB, which can be used to assess, for a given area, the agricultural land needed to feed oneself locally, as well as the agricultural jobs and ecological impacts associated with possible changes in agricultural production methods and/or diets.
is a tool developed by Eco2 Initiative to support canteens in their climate strategy, based in particular on Agribalyse data. Tested in the town halls of the 9th and 11th arrondissements of Paris, the results are convincing, with over 20% less impact on the climate, without any increase in costs.
offers a turnkey service for calculating and displaying the carbon footprint of your catering dishes.
an open source public database including data for 2500 food products consumed in France, and 200 agricultural raw materials produced in France
reference methodology for environmental analysis of agricultural and food products
research works to improve methodologies and data
a network of experts who supports you in understanding and disseminating the work (documentation, training, technical days)
a dynamic of continuous improvement: the constantly evolving database follows advances in science; it is enriched and updated regularly, and validated within the framework of a partnership ensuring their quality and transparency.
Welcome to the AGRIBALYSE® documentation
AGRIBALYSE 3.2 now AVAILABLE :
The new impact factors in version 3.2 of the database are now available in DATAVERSE AGRIBALYSE. The documentation associated with this new version is also available here.
Software versions are currently being implemented in OpenLCA and Simapro. To find out more, visit the Database evolution page.
Website in French : Documentation AGRIBALYSE® en français
In this collective awareness period about the environmental challenges of food sectors, the program provides tools to meet this challenge.
Since 2013, AGRIBALYSE® has been a collective and innovative program which provides references data on the environmental impacts of agricultural and food products through a database built according to the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) methodology.
Work continues in a logic of ongoing improvement and development of new data. Contributions are welcome.
Precautions for use - Conditions of use - Licence to use data
Agribalyse data results from more than 10 years of research and expertise. They aim at reprensenting in the most accurate way possible the impacts of agriculture and food products. We follow an evolutive approach, with continuous improvement. It is therefore of paramount importance to well understand the scope, stenght and limitations of this data to ensure a suitable use. Users are higly recommanded to use the documentation provided along the data.
Agribalyse data is complex and comes with uncertainties, it must be considered for appropriate use. Avoid traps and read our documentation ( a specific user guide is available but only in French so far).
AGRIBALYSE® data is accessible under the conditions of the Etalab ‘Open License’ available in full at the following link: ETALAB OPEN LICENSE.
This licence specifies that it is possible to adapt AGRIBALYSE® data to create ‘Derived Information’, products or services, and to exploit it commercially, for example by combining it with other information, or by including it in a service or application, provided that the authorship of the information is mentioned: its source (ADEME) and the date of the last update. To comply with this condition, ADEME recommends that the authorship of the information be mentioned, for example: ‘ Source ADEME, données AGRIBALYSE v3.1.1 - 2023 ’. This acknowledgement of authorship does not confer any official status on the use. The user is solely responsible for its use and must not mislead third parties as to the content of the ‘information’, its source and its date of update.
Finally, it is reminded in this Licence that the absence of defects or involuntary errors that may be contained in the AGRIBALYSE® database is not guaranteed by ADEME.
The Agribalyse database is based on ecoinvent data for background processes (non-agricultural/food processes), as well as for certain imported agricultural products. These data are only accessible in the 'full' version of the database, via LCA software in particular.
Users of AGRIBALYSE in LCA softwares requires an ecoinvent License (Academic, Commercial or Enterprise). Similarly, the integration of ecoinvent background processes present in Agribalyse into tools is subject to an ecoinvent License (Developer). For further information, please refer to the ecoinvent license conditions.
Environmental communication and data from Life Cycle Assessments are framed by ISO 14020/14040 standards. On the communication component, these standards focus on the main principles: information must be relevant, accurate, verifiable. Communication methods are also distinguished: official labels, self-declaration and eco-profiles. Comparing competing products notably requires specific elements: external critical reviews, reports in accessible "standardized" formats, etc.
All stakeholders wishing to implement environmental communication based on AGRIBALYSE and / or additional data have to refer to the good practices presented in these standards.
Since September 2021, the governance of Agribalyse has evolved towards a GIS (Scientific Interest Group) REVALIM. The database retains its name and remains the property of ADEME.
On 29 September 2021, the Revalim Scientific Interest Group (for Réseau d'EValuation des produits agricoles et ALIMentaires) was created by the 4 members INRAE, ADEME, ACTA and ACTIA. A partnership had already existed since 2009 around the AGRIBALYSE® programme, which led to the development of methodologies and a reference database on the environmental impacts of agricultural and food products.
The 11 technical institutes, as well as the OFB and ANSES, are accredited members of the GIS. They play an active part in the work of the GIS (via the work of the scientific and technical council and the working groups).
Within GIS REVALIM, the 4 founding members and the accredited members aim to :
The guidelines, priorities and operation of the GIS are defined by the Strategic Committee. This is based on proposals drawn up by the Scientific and Technical Committee in terms of priority areas for action.
The participants in the REVALIM Strategic Committee are as follows:
Founding members :
Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) : Vincent COLOMB, Jérôme MOUSSET, Audrey RIMBAUD
The National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE): Mélissa CORNELUS, Arnaud HELIAS, Sophie NICKLAUS, Alban THOMAS
The Agricultural Technical Coordination Association (ACTA): Emeric EMONET
The French network of agri-food technical institutes (ACTIA): Didier MAJOU, Laura FARRANT
Ministry of Ecological Transition and Solidarity (MTES): Valérie TO, Lisa CHENERIE
Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MAA): Cécile POULAIN, Erwan DEGAVELLE
Agroscope, as a link with international initiatives: Gérard GAILLARD
The Scientific and Technical Committee (STC) is made up of representatives of the GIS Members and Adherents. Each representative is an expert in the environmental assessment of agricultural and food products. INRAE chairs the STC and ADEME is vice-chair.
Working groups have also been set up on the following subjects: carbon storage in soils, biodiversity, organic waste products, water footprint, toxicity, data quality approach. These groups are led by a member of the GIS and may call on outside experts (who are not members of the CST). The STC is responsible for the long-term monitoring of these groups (timetable, deliverables).
The following are the members of the STC (in addition to the members of the REVALIM strategic committee already mentioned below):
The AGRIBALYSE® programme brings together a network of experts who can help you understand and disseminate the work (documentation, training, technical days).
AGRIBALYSE data is complex. We recommend that you read the User Guide and browse the pages of this site: the answer to your question may be there! If the answer is not there, you can contact the teams in charge of the AGRIBALYSE® programme via the following e-mail address: agribalyse@ademe.fr
Depending on your question, we will redirect you to the most appropriate experts:
The experts who are members of GIS REVALIM (ADEME, INRAE, technical institutes)
Consultancies specialising in Life Cycle Assessment and trained in the use of the AGRIBALYSE® database
Our local partners
Several consultancies have contributed to AGRIBALYSE, and can help you with your analyses, eco-design and/or environmental information initiatives (non-exhaustive list, in alphabetical order).
Agrosolutions Contributors to Agribalyse, we support companies in the agricultural and agri-food sector in implementing their environmental strategy and monitoring indicators.
Blonk consultants (Dutch, English-speaking), co-developers of Agribalyse 3.0, we are also developing an agricultural LCA database and are active on the PEF. We have been working with companies on these issues for over 10 years.
Carbone4: Carbone 4 supports players in the agriculture and agri-food sector, from identifying the issues to action plans.
Cereopa: we help players in the agricultural sector to understand and control the main determinants of their sustainability, in terms of their economic, environmental (assessed using the Agribalyse methodology) and nutritional components.
Eco2initiative: For over 10 years we have been working on sustainable food issues. Our Eco-calculator, incorporating the latest databases including Agribalyse 3.0, enables you to assess and display to your customers the environmental, nutritional and social score of your food products or dishes. We can also help you make the transition to a more sustainable diet, from product design and procurement to customer communication.
EVEA: An environmental and social assessment consultancy, EVEA has a team dedicated to improving the performance of agricultural and agri-food products. EVEA can help you get to grips with the Agribalyse programme and help your company adopt the methodology, data and tools to improve the environmental performance of your product ranges. We also offer regular group training sessions.
Gingko 21 : The Gingko 21 team puts its in-depth knowledge of the Agribalyse 3.0 database - which it co-constructed for ADEME - at your service to support your projects towards sustainable food: LCA and nutrition assessments, recipe optimisation, packaging, supply chain, eco-innovation, communication and environmental labelling, training in the use of Agribalyse 3.0 data, etc. Our eco-design and agri-food experts are on hand to help you implement your CSR strategy and improve the environmental performance of your products.
Koch Consulting Independent consultant, I was one of the developers of Agribalyse v1 and v3. Thanks to my skills in LCA and IT, I can help you use and adapt the data to your situation.
Maobi can help you carry out Life Cycle Assessments or formalise your eco-design approach to products and the agri-food chain. In particular, we use the latest version of Agribalyse in order to benefit from the most up-to-date LCIs with a view to ensuring methodological robustness.
O2M: O2m Conseil offers to use the Agribalyse methodology and database to assess and add value to your producers' specifications and your industrial practices, to gradually roll out eco-design in your ranges and recipes and, lastly, to make the link with current work on the Environmental Display of consumer products.
Quantis : Quantis uses the Agribalyse tool to help you understand your environmental challenges, eco-design your products and build sustainable development strategies for your agri-food business.
Sayari: Sayari was co-developer of Agribalyse 3.0 for ADEME and is contributing to the development of environmental labelling in France and Europe. Are you looking for expertise on the environmental footprint of agricultural or food products? Whether it's a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Biodiversity Footprint, Toxicity, environmental labelling or Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) calculation.
Xavier Joly Conseil: Xavier Joly is an independent consultant specialising in agricultural production, food processing and seafood products. Xavier helps players in the food chain to improve the environmental performance of their products. He uses Agribalyse data and various tools such as the MEANS-InOut software to eco-design products in line with the CSR approach (ISO 26030) and the Sustainable Development Goals (water, energy, innovation, responsible purchasing, etc.).
There are various ways to learn about LCA and Agribalyse. The technical institutes and consultancies mentioned above offer group or individual training sessions. In addition, certain agronomy schools and the national eco-design centre also offer sessions, which can be opened externally.
An online course (1 hour) on how to use Agribalyse in openLCA has been produced by Philippe Loubet of ENSCBP - Bordeaux INP. Free access.
Recurrent training courses : Agroparistech; Montpellier SupAgro/ELSA cluster; INRAE Rennes/Plateforme MEans-InOut; Pole national eco-conception;MOOC Ecoconception ADEME-AgroParisTech;
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.
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
Educate consumers about the sustainability of their food
The scientific indicators provided by AGRIBALYSE® are complex to interpret for users unfamiliar with the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. They are therefore not directly usable for communication with the general public, but they can be used within the framework of environmental labelling. An experiment is underway in France to test environmental display devices for the food sector, which notably incorporates AGRIBALYSE® data.
Environmental communication and data from Life Cycle Analyses are governed by ISO 14020/14040 standards. In terms of communication, these standards set out the main principles, with information having to be: relevant, accurate and verifiable.
The methods of communication are also distinguished: official labels, self-declaration and eco-profiles. Comparisons between competing products require precise information: external critical reviews, reports in accessible ‘standard’ formats, etc.
All stakeholders wishing to implement environmental communication based on AGRIBALYSE® and/or complementary data are invited to refer to the best practices presented in these standards.
🔸Use of data on an aggregated scale
AGRIBALYSE® data is particularly suitable for consumer information on an aggregate scale: menu or meal tray scale (comparing a fruit salad with a red fruit panna cotta) or diet scale (comparing diets with more or less animal protein per week, for example).
The AGRIBALYSE® database is not a turnkey tool for caterers, but it is a rich source of information. This data can help you with your projects on:
Improving menus and recipes from a nutritional and environmental point of view, since AGRIBALYSE® data is based on the same nomenclature and the same products as the CIQUAL® nutritional database.
Informing diners.
The use of AGRIBALYSE® data at the product level is more complex since at the food scale the AGRIBALYSE® data reflect an average standard reality, not allowing, used alone, to compare products of competing brands by example.
« AGRIBALYSE helps to build a common vision on environmental issues between professionals, consumers and actors of civil society. We regularly use this data; in particular, they enabled us to show that environmentally friendly and economically affordable food is possible. »
Thomas Uthayakumar, Sustainable Food Systems Program Manager, WWF France
Studies about the calculation of environmental scores for environmental labeling are carried out outside the AGRIBALYSE program. These projcts indeed integrate parameters which go beyond the framework of Life Cycle Analyzes (politic and socioeconomic parameters).
As part of the ‘Climate and Resilience Act’, the French Ministry for Ecological Transition is piloting work to define an ‘official environmental display’ for the food sector (as well as for other sectors). This work is based on Agribalyse data, in addition to other elements.
To find out more, visit the dedicated page on the ADEME website.
The database is constantly evolving. We are constantly working on corrections and improvements for future versions.
Corrections and the integration of new data are made on an ongoing basis, but a new version of the database is published every 18/24 months.
Publication of version 3.0 in June 2020 (background data: ecoinvent 3.5 and WFLDB 3.1)
Version 3.0.1 published in October 2020 (background data: ecoinvent 3.5 and WFLDB 3.1)
Publication of version 3.1 in October 2022 (background data: ecoinvent 3.8 and WFLDB 3.5)
Publication of version 3.1.1 in June 2023 (background data: ecoinvent 3.8 and WFLDB 3.5)
Release of version 3.2 in November 2024 (background data: ecoinvent 3.9.1 and WFLDB 3.5)
The new impact factors for version 3.2 of the AGRIBALYSE database have been published: consult them on the ! The “software” versions are currently being implemented in OpenLCA and Simapro. To find out more, visit the page.
Changes include :
new data and data updates produced in particular by the agricultural and agri-food technical institutes as part of the InCyVie project, and following feedback from external contributors (Alliance 7 in particular)
Revision of packaging modelling (PACK_AGB project)
Data improvements/corrections (cooking methods, refined recipes, etc.)
Revision of metal trace elements in organic fertilisers
Update of the rule for allocating the impacts of organic waste products (PRO)
Geographical correction of water flows
Upgrade of background data (ecoinvent 3.9, WFLDB 3.5)
7 products are duplicated in the impact spreadsheets. These products correspond to the following CIQUAL codes: 26232, 26013, 25998, 26037, 26034, 27029, 9901. This is due to a correction of a packaging allocation error detected following the release of version 3.2 in the LCA software. For these products:
lines in red correspond to uncorrected values, i.e. identical to version 3.2 in the LCA software
black lines correspond to corrected values (i.e. not aligned with version 3.2 currently available in LCA software).
LCA software will be corrected when version 3.3 is released.
The publication of a new version involves a large number of players and requires the implementation of a relatively extensive validation/revision/updating process for the documentation. The data to be included in future versions must be received and validated by the GIS REVALIM approximately 6 months before official publication.
Version 3.3 scheduled for 2026
The data to be included in version 3.3 must be notified to GIS REVALIM before Summer 2025. To find out more, visit the page.
Most frequently asked questions about AGRIBALYSE® program and its data are listed here.
The questions addressed are as follows:
Why is Agribalyse based on Life Cycle Assessment?
Are Agribalyse data freely available in LCA software?
Is Agribalyse a ‘turnkey’ tool that allows me to carry out eco-design projects easily?
Does the Agribalyse database include indicators on biodiversity and animal welfare?
Is it possible to compare different production systems, particularly organic and conventional, using the Agribalyse database?
Are agricultural products certified under public or private labels (Organic Farming, Label Rouge, Bleu-Blanc-Cœur, etc.) included in Agribalyse products?
How is packaging dealt with in Agribalyse?
Why do all products in the same category (e.g. cow's milk yoghurts) have the same environmental impact ratings?
Is the AGRIBALYSE database the best source of data for implementing environmental labelling on food products?
I'm looking for a specific product. How can I find out if it's available in Agribalyse? How can I find out how it has been modelled and whether it represents my product correctly?
How can I adapt generic Agribalyse data to better represent my product?
Where can I find the recipes used for Agribalyse products?
How can I find out where the environmental impact of an Agribalyse product comes from?
Why have the impacts of some Agribalyse products changed with the 3.1 update, while other similar products have not?
Why are the impacts of Agribalyse products different from impacts from other sources?
What is the DQR (Data Quality Ratio)?
Is the Agribalyse methodological framework compatible with the PEF (Product Environmental Footprint), a programme to harmonise LCAs at European level?
Does the AGRIBALYSE database enable contract caterers to apply article 24 of the EGALIM law?
Can you give details of the operations taken into account in the stages mentioned in the impact spreadsheets (for example, what is covered by the ‘transport’ stage)?
Although it does not claim to cover all the complex environmental issues facing the agricultural and food sectors, LCA is an essential method for the environmental assessment of agricultural and food products. It is governed by the ISO 14044 standard and used internationally by the scientific community, the private sector and political authorities. It is recommended in particular because it is the only standardised, multi-criteria, multi-stage environmental assessment methodology applicable to all economic sectors. It is the only method that integrates the different stages (from farm to fork), and enables all production sectors and countries to be assessed on a common scientific basis.
However, when interpreting the data, it is important to bear in mind the methodological limitations of this approach, as with any scientific modelling approach. When it comes to comparing extensive/intensive and conventional/organic production systems, for example, the Life Cycle Assessment approach provides a necessary but not sufficient insight. ADEME and the Agribalyse partners therefore recommend supplementing the analyses with other sources of data.
Agribalyse data are freely accessible in LCA software. However, the software packages have different terms and conditions. SimaPro requires a paying licence whereas openLCA is free software.
Since the Agribalyse database is based on ecoinvent data for background processes (non-agricultural/food processes), as well as for certain imported agricultural products, the ‘full’ version of the database in the LCA software is free under certain conditions (see Conditions of use page). Structures that do not meet these conditions must have a valid ecoinvent licence.
Agribalyse is a complex database that is very useful for ecodesign projects, particularly with its complete modular and adjustable version. The database, which can be accessed via LCA software, is mainly intended for environmental assessment experts, who need to be trained in both LCA methodology and software use to be able to manipulate the data correctly. It is therefore not a ‘turnkey’ tool for organisations new to LCA. In this case, it is advisable to seek support from relevant organisations.
Agribalyse data is nevertheless intended to be integrated into simplified operational tools, including eco-design tools without LCA software. These tools are not intended to be developed as part of the Agribalyse project, but rather by those working in the field who are closest to the users. Some tools already exist, while others will be developed in the future.
Agribalyse is limited to the indicators defined by the LCA methodological framework. The database therefore does not include animal welfare indicators (or social or economic indicators, etc.). Reference should be made to other sources on this subject. This is one of the reasons why it is vital to take other indicators into account when comparing animal production systems: Agribalyse data is not sufficient.
There are no specific indicators for biodiversity in Agribalyse. There is no international scientific consensus on quantifying impacts on biodiversity and providing one or more LCA indicators. Work is underway to remedy this, within the GIS REVALIM and internationally. In the meantime, in order to compare production systems, LCA indicators should be supplemented with other indicators (e.g. IFT, SIE, landscape diversity, etc.) reflecting biodiversity issues. It should be noted, however, that several indicators provided by LCAs are strongly correlated with biodiversity:
climate change, which is a major factor in the erosion of biodiversity
land use, which also has a strong influence on the state of ecosystems and biodiversity;
ecotoxicity, which corresponds to the effects of chemical substances on living organisms - currently only measured in freshwater environments;
and, to a lesser extent, other indicators of ecosystem health: eutrophication, acidification, etc.
The agricultural section provides data for product variations based on different production systems (labels in particular), including organic farming systems. However, it is not easy to compare organic and conventional systems using Agribalyse data alone, for two main reasons:
Agribalyse does not take full account of all environmental impacts, particularly biodiversity, where organic systems are considered to be more virtuous on average. Agribalyse is based on a flow and impact approach (improvement/degradation of the environment as a function of practices), and not on the state of the ecosystem.
In Agribalyse, different organic production systems are proposed, rather than a ‘France Bio average’ for a given agricultural product, as the data currently available on organic farming does not allow us at this stage to construct an ‘average French organic system’ for each production. As a result, it is difficult to compare organic data with conventional ‘average French’ data.
Different farming methods are also proposed for each type of animal production (e.g. cow's milk, grassland system; cow's milk, dominant maize system; cow's milk, specialised mountain system). As with organic systems, it is recommended that the Agribalyse data be supplemented with other indicators in order to compare production methods.
In the food section, only ‘average’ products consumed in France are proposed, with no breakdown according to production method. It is therefore not possible to compare an organic burger with a conventional burger.
The data available for the agricultural sector is extensive, and Agribalyse includes inventories of certified agricultural production: both organic production (apples, pears, wheat, tomatoes, pork, etc.) and SIQO (Label Rouge, Bleu-Blanc-Cœur), as well as a number of conventional systems by type of production, reflecting the variability of production methods and their relative environmental impacts.
However, the scope of these data, differentiated by type of practice and certification, stops at the end of the field: these data are not used in the food products currently on the consumer's plate.
So, for example, appertised tomato pulp uses the average market data for tomatoes intended for industry, which takes into account several production methods (heated glasshouse tomatoes, average open-field tomatoes, organic open-field tomatoes, etc.), but there is no such thing as ‘Organic tomato pulp’.
However, it is entirely possible to reconstruct this type of data set relating to specific labelled products using LCA software.
In the food section, for each product under consideration, a typical packaging type has been defined (cardboard packaging for pizzas, for example), based on statistics and expert opinion. To date, no variations have been provided for different types of packaging. A project currently underway involving a large number of technical institutes and led by the CTCPA (PACK project) aims to improve the modelling of packaging in Agribalyse, in particular by providing packaging breakdowns for each food product.
In addition, end-of-life packaging has been modelled. See the methodology report for more information.
The database contains a single set of environmental indicators for each of the 2,500 food products. The data cannot be used to compare food products in the same category (e.g. two competing brands of yoghurt or an organic minced steak versus a conventional minced steak). These data therefore reflect an ‘average’ reality that allows food products from different categories to be compared, but not identical products from different production methods. To carry out this detailed comparison work, it is necessary to collect additional data and adjust the LCA parameters in the software. Please refer to the user guide and the methodological report for more information.
AGRIBALYSE is the only environmental database covering the entire food sector - it is therefore an important source of data for setting up a labelling scheme. However, the AGRIBALYSE database cannot be the only source of data used for environmental labelling.
For example, vegetable proteins come in different forms: ‘Vegetable soya and/or wheat dumpling, pre-packed’ or ‘Vegetable soya-based minced meat, pre-packed’. To find out if they correspond to my product, I can look up the associated information in the Excel spreadsheet: delivery, packaging, preparation at the consumer's premises.
To find out how a product is modelled in detail, you need to use LCA software: Simapro (chargeable), OpenLCA (free) or Brightway (free). Training in their use is strongly recommended. It is also possible to consult consultancy firms or LCA experts to carry out specific studies, or to obtain training. The following page lists resources on these subjects: https:
Note that Agribalyse represents average products on the French market, which may be more or less different from manufacturers' products. To assess the impact of specific products in the context of environmental labelling, tools will be made available by the Ministry to refine these inventory data.
To adapt Agribalyse data (for example, to adapt the agricultural input to use organic production instead of conventional production), it is necessary to use LCA software on which Agribalyse is available (OpenLCA or Brightway, which are free, or Simapro, which has to be paid for). Training in the use of this software is strongly recommended to ensure that you understand how to use it, and how to use and interpret the results.
Alternatively, companies specialising in LCA can also carry out specific studies on this type of adaptation.
The recipes used for the products come from several sources: the majority come from ANSES, a small number come from a distributor, and the rest come from public sources (bibliography, Open Food Facts, etc.).
To date, to find out the ingredients and quantities used in the recipes for Agribalyse products, you need to use one of the LCA software packages, in which the recipes are explained. There is no other public document detailing the recipes for all Agribalyse products.
However, some information is available in the documentation. One of the appendices to the methodological report (Food section) lists the ANSES recipes used for each CIQUAL product (without details of the ingredients): this appendix makes it possible to identify products using the same ANSES recipes. Certain reports relating to products added or modified for version 3.1 may also detail certain recipes used (CTCPA, GINGKO21 reports).
Corrections and methodological changes do not impact products and indicators in the same way. For example, corrections linked to changes in proxies, corrections in recipes, etc. only impact a few specific products, whereas changes in emissions models impact all the products in the database, but not to the same extent.
Comparing LCA impact results from different sources is complex and requires in-depth knowledge of LCA. Differences can arise from various aspects:
Is the functional unit comparable? In Agribalyse, the functional unit is 1kg of product consumed by the consumer. This means that losses are considered throughout the life cycle, which includes production, processing, packaging, distribution, etc.
Are the perimeters of the data comparable? For Agribalyse data, the scope does not include transport from the supermarket to the consumer.
Is the quality of the data comparable? For Agribalyse data, packaging is modelled in a simplified way.
Are the temporal and geographical representativeness of the data comparable? The Agribalyse data represent products on the French market, with production methods that are representative of France or of countries from which France imports. There may be major differences in impact due to differences in farming practices (intensiveness, production methods, etc.).
Are the allocations between co-products comparable? For Agribalyse data, there may be differences compared with international references: for the allocation between milk and veal, the allocation in Agribalyse is biophysical, whereas in the EFP (European context), it is economic.
Are the impact indicators and calculation methods used comparable? Agribalyse uses version 3.1 of the European Environmental Footprint (EF) method.
Generally speaking, it is important to refer to the documentation of sources that can explain the perimeters, allocations, assumptions, calculation methods used, etc., in order to make a reasonable comparison of LCA impact results.
For example, the impact of beef in Agribalyse is lower than the impact of beef in the reference article by Poore & Nemecek. There are several reasons for this:
The raw beef in Agribalyse takes into account different production methods in France in order to correspond to the national average: corn silage systems with different percentages in the ration, extensive mountain systems, etc. The Poore & Nemecek publication, on the other hand, is a meta-analysis of livestock farms around the world, including production methods very different from those observed in France (e.g. more intensive and energy-intensive in the USA).
The data also considers a percentage split between suckler and dairy farms, unlike the Poore & Nemecek publication, which seems to differentiate between the two meat categories.
The scope of the study may differ between the two sources: for example, green water (rainwater stored in the ground) is taken into account in one source but not in the other.
The allocations considered between the co-products of beef production (milk/meat/calf) may also differ (economic/biophysical).
The Data Quality Ratio (DQR), ranging from 1 (very good) to 5 (very poor), is a reliability rating associated with each agricultural and food product for which Agribalyse provides life cycle inventories and impact indicators. This score is calculated according to the method recommended by the European Commission and takes into account several criteria: temporal representativeness (TiR) and technological representativeness (TeR), precision (P), and geographical specificity (GR).
Agribalyse is closely aligned with the PEF recommendations, but there are some significant differences for certain products, due to the slightly different timeframes and perimeters of the two programmes. Overall, the two methodologies are very similar and should be harmonised.
There are a number of different guides to the recommendations made by the PEF:
the general PEF guide giving general methodological recommendations for conducting LCAs (life cycle stages, impact calculation methods, etc.);
PEFCR guides (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules) defining rules for specific products. PEFCRs are not currently available for all Agribalyse products.
Agribalyse follows several of the recommendations in the general PEF guide: assumptions to be made at the distribution and supermarket stages, for example, and the calculation method to be used. The differences identified relate in particular to the following points:
The biophysical allocation of the impacts of livestock farming, particularly cattle farming, between milk and meat, is different between Agribalyse and the PEFCR dairy products;
The allocation of fertilisers to the different crops in the crop rotation;
The modelling of pesticide emissions is different (OLCA-Pest model in Agribalyse, simplified model in PEF);
The databases used in the background in Agribalyse (Ecoinvent, WFLDB) are different from those recommended by the PEF (dedicated database, harmonisation work in progress).
To date, there is no direct link between Agribalyse and the consequences of the EGALIM law concerning the provision on ‘the introduction into mass catering of products acquired using methods that take into account the costs imputed to environmental externalities linked to the product during its life cycle’.
ADEME considers that the provision is not operational as it stands for mass catering companies (no tool to make the link between environmental indicators and the cost of externalities). Following the study carried out in 2019, ADEME no longer has any work in progress on this issue.
However, the Agribalyse data is quite useful for improving the sustainability of collective catering, but not for this ‘Egalim’ provision.
Consumption : impacts of preparing and storing the product at the consumer's premises (cooking, chilled storage, etc.)
Supermarket and distribution: impacts of the distribution and sales stage in shops: consumption of energy, water, heat, emissions of refrigerants, etc.
Transport : impacts of transporting agricultural raw materials to processing plants AND transporting the product between the manufacturing plant, the distribution platform and the shop where it is purchased by the consumer. As a reminder, transport between the shop and the consumer is not taken into account in the Agribalyse data.
Packaging: impacts of the materials used in the shaping and end-of-life processes for CIQUAL product packaging, including transport from the supply to the product manufacturing plant.
Transformation: impacts of the agri-food processes required to transform raw agricultural products.
Agriculture: impacts of all agricultural production contained in the product's life cycle (this includes the transport of raw materials such as fertilisers, plant protection products, etc. to agricultural production).
Perimeter - Key methodological hypothesis
Analysing the production systems for all the food consumed in mainland France represents a considerable scientific challenge, given the scale and complexity of the production, processing and distribution systems in a globalised market. To carry out the calculations, we had to rely on a large amount of statistical data, supplemented by hypotheses and expert opinion.
Approximations and simplifications had to be made, and these are documented in the methodology report. Hypotheses were always constructed as "systematically" as possible in order to avoid bias, and by concentrating efforts on the structuring parameters with the greatest impact, known thanks to the consortium's expertise. Particular effort has therefore been focused on the agricultural stage, which for the majority of products represents the phase of the life cycle with the greatest impact, while the processing, logistics, packaging and use phases have been simplified.
The environmental indicators available on the impacts associated with agricultural production are calculated for 1 kg of raw agricultural product (e.g. 1 kg of wheat leaving the farm). The calculations take into account all the processes upstream (manufacture of inputs) and in the field (cultivation operations), stopping at the end of the field. Impacts relating to transformation processes, logistics, transport, packaging and product use are not taken into account in this agricultural section.
The data available for the agricultural section is rich: it concerns average products, and variations (integrated farming, organic farming, grass-fed farming, etc.), reflecting the variability of production methods and their relative environmental impacts. The "standard/average" practices are the result of the representativeness of these different production methods in France today.
A specific calculation tool for upstream agriculture
The analysis of agricultural systems using the Agribalyse® methodology is greatly facilitated by the use of INRAE-Cirad's MEANS-InOut software upstream of SimaPro. The MEANS-InOut software can be used to describe agricultural technical itineraries, and is available online after subscribing to a service contract. For more information: https://www.inrae.fr/means
The Organic LCA project has produced data on a large number of organic farming operations. These data are included in the current database. One of the aims of the work carried out as part of the Organic LCA project was to illustrate the diversity of organic farming practices. However, for certain products (such as beef), the project was unable to model an "average organic product" produced in France, due to the diversity of practices and a lack of statistics on organic farming production. As a result, the AGRIBALYSE database cannot currently be used to compare the environmental impact of the average conventional cow's milk in France and the average organic cow's milk in France. Work is currently underway to remedy this shortcoming.
Data based on "consumption mixes"
For the raw agricultural products used in the manufacture of food products, ‘consumption mixes’ have been calculated to take account of imported products. For example, the impacts of the ‘standard conventional tomato’ used in pizza represent the weighted average of the impacts of the tomatoes mainly used for processed products (i.e. 18% of tomatoes from French production, 46% of Italian tomatoes and 36% of Spanish tomatoes).
"Average/standard" products representative of products consumed in France
The impact indicators provided by AGRIBALYSE (in its simplified version) represent indicators calculated for "standard" products, the most widely consumed in France. For example, we can see the impact of a ‘standard’ Margherita pizza, made from "standard" conventional tomatoes, standard "conventional" Gruyère cheese and standard "conventional" ham, produced using the most common production systems today, and the most common packaging used for this type of product. The impacts of the "conventional standard tomato" in the pizza represent the weighted average of the impacts of the tomatoes most commonly used for processed products (i.e. 18% of tomatoes from French production, 46% of Italian tomatoes and 36% of Spanish tomatoes).
At this stage, this simplified version does not provide any "variations" at food level : there is only one set of environmental indicators for each of the 2,500 Ciqual products, and therefore no variation for each of these products. This means that the simplified version of Agribalyse® data cannot be used to compare food products in the same category (e.g. two Margarita pizzas from competing brands, or an organic Pizza Margarita and a non-organic Pizza Margarita). These data therefore reflect a ‘majority standard’ reality, and allow food products from different categories to be compared.
With the exception of a few "test products", there is no breakdown of the available indicators according to season or local produce sourcing.
To make the data easier to understand, details of the impacts for each of the 2,500 products are provided by major stage, in the simplified file: agricultural production, transport, packaging, distribution and use.
For compound products, the environmental impacts are also detailed by ingredient.
Focus on season and air transport
For a number of key products, a number of variations have been made: for example, the impacts for tomatoes and strawberries have been broken down for in-season tomatoes/strawberries and out-of-season tomatoes/strawberries. A breakdown has also been made for products transported by air (for example, green beans from Kenya versus ‘average’ green beans produced in France).
The current LCA framework provides structuring and useful elements to shed light on the environmental aspect of the sustainability of agricultural and food systems. However, this framework still needs to be consolidated and improved to better cover all the environmental issues facing the sector. The usual LCA indicators do not currently capture all the potential environmental impacts, and modelling needs to be improved for certain impacts. Among the main issues for the food sector, the limitations and development needs of the LCA and Agribalyse indicators relate in particular to :
Better representation of all pressures and practices favourable to biodiversity
An improved account of carbon storage/removal processes in soils
A better description of transformation processes and the use of by-products in the agri-food industry
A better description of the degradation of pesticides in the environment, and their impact on human health and ecosystems
A better spatialisation of water consumption
In the short term, this means that when LCA is used to compare the environmental impacts of different production systems (organic versus conventional farming, intensive/extensive livestock farming, etc.) and processing systems, these limitations must be explicitly highlighted. It may therefore be useful to use additional indicators, to be defined according to the context and the scale of the work. These additional indicators could be, for example, Areas of Ecological Interest for biodiversity, animal welfare indicators or socio-economic indicators.
Work to improve the LCA framework is underway at international, European and French level (via the GIS REVALIM in particular). Projects carried out as part of the AGRIBALYSE programme and then the GIS REVALIM have already proposed methodological improvements, but not all of these have yet been incorporated into the database. Their results will be gradually incorporated into AGRIBALYSE in the future. They will make it possible to consolidate environmental analyses to provide a more complete picture of the interactions between food and the environment.
AGRIBALYSE® data is based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. To understand the data, you need to know the basic principles of LCA.
The Life Cycle Assessment method is a method recognized and used internationally by the scientific community, private actors and political powers. It is framed by the ISO 14044 standard. It is recommended in particular because it is the only standardized, multi-criteria, multi-stage environmental assessment methodology applicable to all economic sectors.
LCA methodology is essential for the evaluation of food products, but does not claim to cover all the dimensions and all the complexity of food systems.
LCA is a method for quantifying the impact of a product on the environment throughout its life cycle (e.g. agriculture, transport, packaging, etc.). In addition to being a method taking into account all stages of the product life cycle, this method takes into account several major environmental issues (climate change, water quality, air quality, impact on soils ...) and not just the climate.
At each stage of the chain, material, energy and pollutant emission balances are produced and aggregated in the form of a set of environmental indicators: 16 indicators are provided for each product. These are the indicators recommended by the European Commission (Product Environmental Footprint project, see table below).
Impact indicators
Details
Units
Climate change
The best known indicator, corresponds to the modification of the climate, affecting the global ecosystem.
kg CO2 eq
Particulate matters
Particulate matters enter organisms, especially through the lungs. They have an effect on human health.
disease incidence
Water use
Corresponds to the consumption of water and its depletion in certain regions. This category takes into account scarcity (it has more impact of consuming a liter of water in Morocco than in Brittany).
m3 world eq
Resource use, fossils
Corresponds to the depletion of non-renewable energy resources: coal, gas, oil, uranium, etc.
MJ
Land Use
Land is a finite resource, which is shared between "natural" (forest), productive (agriculture) and urban environments. Land use and habitats largely determine biodiversity. This category therefore reflects the impact of an activity on land degradation, with reference to "the natural state".
point
Resource use, minerals and metals
Corresponds to the depletion of non-renewable mineral resources: copper, potash, rare earths, sand, etc.
kg Sb eq
Ozone depletion
The ozone layer is located at high altitude in the atmosphere, it protects from solar ultraviolet rays. Its impoverishment increases the exposure of all living beings to these negative radiations (carcinogens in particular).
kg CFC-11 eq
Acidification
Result of chemical emissions in the atmosphere which are redeposited in ecosystems. This problem is known in particular through the phenomenon of acid rain.
mol H+ eq
Ionizing radiation, effect on human health
Corresponds to the effects of radioactivity. This impact corresponds to the radioactive waste resulting from the production of nuclear electricity.
kBq U235 eq
Photochemical ozone formation, effect on human health
Corresponds to a deterioration in air quality, mainly via the formation of low altitude fog called "smog". It has negative health consequences.
kg NMVOC eq
Eutrophication, terrestrial
As in water, terrestrial eutrophication corresponds to an excessive enrichment of the environment, in nitrogen in particular, leading to an imbalance and a depletion of the ecosystem. This mainly concerns agricultural soils.
mol N eq
Eutrophication, marine
Corresponds to an excessive enrichment of natural environments in nutrients, which leads to proliferation and asphyxiation (dead zone). It is this phenomenon which is at the origin of green algae.
kg N eq
Eutrophication, freshwater
Corresponds to an excessive enrichment of natural environments in nutrients, which leads to proliferation and asphyxiation (dead zone). It is this phenomenon which is at the origin of green algae. It can be found in rivers and lakes too.
kg P eq
A single score is also proposed: it is the "single EF score" recommended by the European Commission, calculated with weighting factors for each of the indicators; the weighting takes into account both the relative robustness of each of these indicators and the environmental challenges.
For more information on the “single EF score”, refer to the documentation of the European Commission.
The European Commission has established a classification of indicators, based on the robustness and the level of scientific consensus of the indicators.
Data Quality Ratio
A quality score - the Data Quality Ratio (DQR) - from 1, very good, to 5, very poor - is associated with each agricultural and food product for which Agribalyse provides life cycle inventories and impact indicators. The European Commission recommends caution in using data with DQRs greater than 3. In the AGRIBALYSE database, 67% of the data have a DQR judged to be good or very good (1 to 3).
Limitations and needs for evolution of the LCA methodology
In the current state of knowledge, the usual LCA indicators do not correctly reflect all the environmental stakes. Among the main challenges for the food sector, the limits and needs for evolution of LCA indicators, in particular on:
Water consumption at the agricultural level
Storage and release of carbon in soils
Impact of phytosanitary products on human and ecosystem health
Biodiversity
In short-term vision, this means that LCA cannot be used as a single measure to compare the environmental impacts of different production systems (organic farming versus conventional farming for example).
Agribalyse® work systematically seeks to use available international standards (FAO, European Commission, ISO, etc.). The data is designed to evolve in line with new knowledge, improved methodologies and the integration of new products. Regular updates are carried out (every 18/24 months). Although every effort is made to ensure data quality, several sources of uncertainty remain.
Uncertainty concerning the data used to calculate impacts is highlighted by a reliability score associated with each piece of data (the DQR, or Data Quality Ratio). This score (from 1, very good quality, to 5, poor quality) is calculated according to the method recommended by the European Commission. It is not possible at this stage to provide quantitative uncertainty data (standard deviation): estimating these uncertainties would require unavailable data.
Uncertainty concerning the models used to calculate impacts through a robustness classification of indicators drawn up by the European Commission. (see previous paragraph).
Methodological reports and scientific documentation produced in AGRIBALYSE® program available in english are gathered here.
Agribalyse 3.0=>3.1 change report :
The publication of Agribalyse 3 data in LCA software was accompanied by webinars :
January 2023 - presentation of Agribalyse 3.1 :
Main session : Webinar Agribalyse 3.1 January the 10th 2023
June 2020 - presentation of Agribalyse 3.0 : See the webinar organized by Simapro - See the webinar organized by openLCA
In addition to the methodology, we made a transversal analysis of Agribalyse 3.0.1 and explore the data variability between average product and commercial ones.
Data generated at the food scale uses several data sources:
Soon available in english
See World Food Data Base documentation.
See methodological report about Fruits & Vegetables.
Not available in english. See french documentation.
See methodological report about Bananas.
Soon available
Avadí A., Aissani L, Pradel M., Wilfart A. 2020 Life cycle inventory data on French organic waste treatments yielding organic amendments and fertilisers, Volume 28,2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2019.105000
Avadí, A. 2020 Screening LCA of French organic amendments and fertilisers. Int J Life Cycle Assess 25, 698–718 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-020-01732-w
GIS REVALIM wanted to advance and improve the current LCA method for taking into account variations in Carbon stocks in soils and biomass, and the associated GHG emissions linked to land use and changes in land use. In this context, the ACV CARBONE project, co-funded by ADEME and coordinated by ARVALIS-Institut du végétal and INRAE, has proposed concrete solutions that are currently being discussed for potential integration into the Agribalyse 3.3 version (due in 2026). The project has produced several deliverables:
An initial bibliographical report, available in the ADEME library.
The project's final report, available in the ADEME library.
A scientific article published in the International Journak of LCA: Modelling greenhouse gas emissions of land use and land-use change using spatially explicit land conversion data for French crop
Please note that the proposals described in the final report have not been integrated into the AGRIBALYSE database at this stage. The proposal is currently under discussion within the GIS REVALIM strategic committee, for potential integration into AGRIBALYSE version 3.3 in 2026.
Previously, the subject of Carbon in soils had also been the focus of the SOCLE project. Several reports have emerged from the SOCLE project:
Bessou, C., Tailleur, A., Godard, C. et al. Accounting for soil organic carbon role in land use contribution to climate change in agricultural LCA: which methods? Which impacts?. Int J Life Cycle Assess 25, 1217–1230 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-019-01713-8
Full report in french. See french documentation.
Not available in english. See french documentation.
Not available in english. See french documentation.
Not available in english. See french documentation.
GIS REVALIM invites data users to contribute to improving and enhancing the database.
User contributions are essential for improving and developing the database. The Agribalyse partners intend to encourage external contributions in the future, while ensuring the consistency and quality of the database. Rules are currently being validated by the strategic committee and will be made available on this page.
On the other hand, it is inevitable that, despite our efforts and quality control processes, some errors will still be found in the database. Users are invited to contact us if they think they have identified other errors.
The data improvement process is based in part on feedback from users.
There are several ways in which you can contribute to improving and enriching the data:
In this case, improvements involve specific R&D work, consistent with international work. ADEME finances studies and numerous R&D projects on various subjects: carbon storage/removal from soils, taking account of local biodiversity, pesticide toxicity, water footprint, etc.
Within GIS REVALIM, working groups open to GIS members have been set up on certain topics. These working groups can call on external expertise from time to time. If you would like to offer your expertise to contribute to the reflections around a methodological axis, please contact melissa.cornelus@inrae.fr.
By construction, AGRIBALYSE® data mobilise numerous hypotheses. Some data are approximated or simplified.
Users are invited to let us know of any proposals for modifications relating to identified errors or proposals for improvements to assumptions relating to existing data. These may relate to agricultural processes, consumption mixes, transformation processes, recipes or downstream operations (packaging, logistics, transport, preparation of dishes).
To do so, send an email to the Agribalyse customer service department at: agribalyse@ademe.fr
The database is continually enriched by new variations of existing products (products with labels, for example), the integration of missing products, the integration of missing agro-industrial processes, new recipes, etc.
Potential contributors are invited to contact the Technical Institute concerned to discuss the purpose of the study and the scope (either existing data or data to be produced). Following this, the Technical Institute will assess the representativeness of the proposed processes within the French sectors and their suitability for inclusion in the AGRIBALYSE® database. The GIS REVALIM strategic committee will assess the proposals submitted by the Technical Institutes (relevance of integration to the programme's priorities, compliance with the AGRIBALYSE® methodology, etc.).
The AGRIBALYSE® database is a database providing data on generic products, and it is intended to remain so. Thus, while the database is intended to be used to enhance the product variations used to highlight the differences in impacts associated with different methods of production, processing or packaging (organic products versus conventional products, glass bottles versus plastic bottles, etc.), it is not intended to distinguish between products of different brands.
However, ADEME, INRAE and their partners encourage companies to produce their own data, particularly in the context of eco-design projects, using the AGRIBALYSE® methodology, so that their data can be compared with the generic data in the AGRIBALYSE® database.
You have a question about AGRIBALYSE®? Do not hesitate to contact the teams in charge of the program!
Write to us to share your suggestions and contributions!
In case of questions relating to the program or the database, if you cannot find your answers in the documentation or the , we will be attentive to your demands.
Contact us:
The ‘standard/average’ practices are the result of the representativeness of these different production methods in France today.
To find out more, please refer to this page dedicated to (you will also find information in the Scientific Council's report and in the government report submitted to Parliament).
To find out if a product is available in Agribalyse, you can use the Excel spreadsheets or the online exploration portal using keywords in French, English or by CIQUAL number. These resources are available at
If you need to know more about the assumptions made for the products (packaging, transport, etc.): more information is available in the methodological reports, available on the following page:
To find out where the impact of an Agribalyse product comes from, it is possible to refer to the impacts by life cycle stage: Agriculture, Processing, Packaging, Distribution, Consumption, Transport. The impacts by life cycle stage are available either directly on the online data exploration portal , or via one of the tabs in the Excel file available for Agribalyse food products (products consumed by the consumer) on the page.
To find out more about the origin of the impacts within these stages, it is necessary to carry out an in-depth analysis of the LCA data using LCA software. This can be done by training in the use of such software, or by seeking advice from experts or firms specialising in LCA. Resources are available at
The changes in impacts can be explained by several corrections/improvements made to version 3.1 (which are detailed in the change report available on the page) and which are of two types: methodological improvements (emissions models, for example) or data improvements (greater accuracy, etc.).
A score below 2 is considered reliable, while a score above 4 is considered unreliable.
Organism
Name
Role
Field of expertise
EMONET Emeric
Head of Agroecology, Systems and Sustainability
Agricultural production
ROUAULT Anthony
Environment Project Manager
Milk and dairy products
MAJOU Didier
Director
Food industry
NITSCHELM Laure
R&D engineer environmental assessment and life cycle analysis
Field crops
l.nitschelm@arvalis.fr
FARRANT Laura
Environment Project Manager
Processed fruits and vegetables, ready meals
LABAU Marie-Pierre
Environment & Sustainable Development Manager
Processed fruits and vegetables, ready meals
GRISEY Ariane
gineer • Head of Unit • Environment - Energy Unit. Saint-Remy-de-Provence
Fruits and vegetables
ariane.grisey@ctifl.fr
MIREUR Malou
Environmental Studies Officer
Fruits and vegetables
malou.mireur@ctifl.fr
FOSSEY Maxime
Project Manager - Environment-Building Service
Ruminant breeding
maxime.fossey@idele.fr
ESPAGNOL Sandrine
Environmental engineer
Pig breeding
ADOIR Emilie
Environment project manager
Vine and wine
ITAB
SAUTEREAU Natacha
Agro-economist, head of the Sustainability-Transition unit
Organic production
natacha.sautereau@itab.asso.fr
ITAB
DALLAPORTA Bastien
Project Manager for the Sustainability Division-. Transition
Organic production
BLAZY Vincent
Environment project manager
Poultry
DUBOIS Elise
Environment project manager
Poultry
elise.dubois@itavi.asso.fr
BESNIER Antoine
Environment & Eco-Industries project manager
Fat
BOSQUE Fabrice
Environment & Eco-Industries Manager
Fat
DAUGUET Sylvie
Quality, Health and Safety, Environment
Oil crops and legume crops
