Fig. 2

Life cycle assessment in actual food production. In dietary life, greenhouse gases include gases like CO₂, methane (CH₄), nitric oxide (N₂O), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and are produced in various processes (called the “life cycle”). Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) produced in resource preparation, material production and transportation, food processing, cooking, and waste disposal are calculated as stacked CO₂-equivalents impacting global warming. For example, Diet A has an environmental impact from material production but a far lower impact from transportation than Diet B. As a result, Diet A is a better diet from an environmental preservation perspective when considering the entire life cycle. The carbon footprint that is used as a scale is called a midpoint indicator as it does not directly affect humankind