PEFCR
One method to assess environmental sustainability
In today's fresh produce sector, the demand for sustainability information is on the rise. Retailers, governments, financial institutions, and consumers all want proof of environmental responsibility.
This has led to a confusing array of sustainability labels, initiatives, and legislation — creating administrative burden, costs, and confusion throughout the supply chain..
Because it is not clear; how de we truly assess sustainability in fruits and vegetables? We need one method to assess environmental sustainability of fruit & vegetables that takes into account all relevant aspects of environmental sustainability.
The European Commission has developed the Product Environmental Footprint framework — a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method that measures environmental impact across a product's entire lifecycle.
The FreshProducePEFCR
Building on this, the fresh produce sector has created its own tailored approach: The FreshProducePEFCR, which we presented at the Freshfel Annual event on April 9th.
The FreshProducePEFCR covers the entire lifecycle — from production and processing to distribution, retail, and end-of-life — capturing potential trade-offs between different stages. For this project we as Fresh Produce Centre worked with projectpartners Freshfel Europe, Greenyard, Dole, Wageningen University & Research, PRé Sustainability and Meríeux Nutrisciences | Blonk Sustainability to create an LCA method that works for everyone. Watch the video below to learn more about the FreshProducePEFCR.
Unlike approaches that focus on a single issue, the PEFCR provides a holistic view across 16 environmental indicators—from climate change and water use to resource depletion and land use—with particular focus on the 9 most impactful indicators.
With broad sector support, the FreshProducePEFCR creates reliable, comparable outcomes and establishes a common language for environmental sustainability.
It eliminates duplication, creates harmonization, and supports implementation in policies, certification, and tools.
The FreshProducePEFCR: A system based on impact, built upon reliable numbers—on our way to harmonizing environmental sustainability in fruits and vegetables.
Read more
Read more: https://freshfel.org/projects/...
Get in touch
Email us at: pefcr@freshproducecentre.com