Présentation
7 committed players in foodtech and catering have united to create a food Eco-Score*, for food products and convenience food, so that consumers are aware of the impact of their food choices.
Eco-Score : 3 key points
Eco-Score classes food products from A (low) to E (high) according to their impact on the environment.
Eco-Score aims to inform consumers on the environmental impact of the food they choose so as to guide them towards more responsible consumption. Eco-Score helps producers and consumers to be responsible and decide.
Eco-Score is a experimental* method which is transparent and can be easily understood and applied by all players who want to commit to environmental display for their products. It can be applied to both agro-industrial raw products and also to convenience food.
Eco-Score Methodology
Eco-Score is calculated using :
● Public data : quantitative data on product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) from the Agribalyse database, drawn up by experts and implemented in Agribalyse. Impacts on environment through production, transport, fabrication, and packaging are taken into account, giving a score out of 100.
● Data not included in LCA but which do take into account the positive or negative impact on the environment: data on the product label or given by the producer, as well as additional quality criteria : recyclability of packages, labels (Bio, quality etc.), where the ingredients come from, seasonality of food used (for recipes and ready meals). All these data will give a bonus/malus which will influence the score.
The total mark out of 100 gives a score from A to E.
Simulation tool
The spreadsheet below is used to calculate the Eco-score based on a product information. This is the french version.
Registration
The logo is subject to the conditions of use defined in the document below (an english version will be available soon):
Registration is necessary for the study of the application by the consortium. The use of the Eco-Score is acquired only after approval by the consortium.
Operator registration procedure to obtain the right to use the logo: https://forms.gle/XDfQGoonsavFLhDE9
When the Logo is used following the registration of the right of use, and if the operator carries out the Eco-score calculations himself without going through one of the collective platforms, the simulation Excel tool must be transmitted, including all the data used to calculate the environmental scores displayed by the operator.
Eco-Score is an answer to negative impacts on the environment directly connected to food production
● In the world food production is responsible for 30% greenhouse gases¹, 60% consumption of drinking water² and most of packaging waste.
● 78% French people do not have enough information on the impact of the products they buy on health and environment*
● 10% employment in France is directly linked to food production and distribution*
● Eco-Score is one of 146 propositions from the French Citizens’ Convention on Climate
● February 2020 : The law against waste to promote circular economy The French law against food waste for circular economy passed on 10th February 2020 stipulates clear environmental display and marking so that consumers are aware of the environmental impact of the goods or products they choose.
● June 2020, ADEME (French Agency for Ecological transtion) and INRAE (France's new National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environmen) updated AGRIBALYSE, their environmental database on food products (2500 products linked to the nutritional base Ciqual).
The consortium
This Eco-score is a joint effort by players in the domains of computing, distribution and catering, who have a common ambition: to create a simple tool which can be used by all players and consumers to reduce the impact of food production on the planet. The committed players below have already included Eco-Score in all facets of their businesses.
The consortium decides to create an independent, transparent and collaborative methodology based on available public data. This shows how Eco-Score works and enables all players at local or national level to understand and appreciate the benefits of Eco-Score.
Consulted experts
We warmly thank the experts who provided their technical support and their critical view on the methodology.
Vincent Colomb (ADEME), Martin REGNER (ADEME), Anne DESERABLE (Quantis), Samuel CAUSSE (EVEA), Pauline ROIGNANT (EVEA), Thomas UTHAYAKUMAR (WWF), Laura CHATEL (Zero Waste), Geraldine GAUVIN (CITEO), Valentin FOURNEL (CITEO), Nicolas Pont (Veolia)
—
¹ Institute for Climate Economics. (2019). Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from food consumption ² OCDE (2020). Agriculture and water policy changes
* The ECO-SCORE® trademark is registered in France and owned by ADEME. A temporary right of use has been granted to the collective, pending the publication of an official scheme supported by the public authorities, scheduled for 2023. This scheme is part of an experiment led by the French Ministry for Ecological Transition.
Last updated
