Life cycle assessment of an extra-virgin olive oil supply chain

According to current opinions, the environmental costs of products and processes represent crucial drivers to be involved when addressing the sustainability of supply chains. Contrary to common belief, food industry is growing in importance in terms of consumption and monetary value, because of the global population growth and market changes (e.g. purchasing habits, public awareness on the benefits of healthier diet). The impact of the whole food supply chain on environment is becoming a relevant cost to be properly measured and handled. As instance, the practice of labeling agri-food products with eco-impact indicators at the retailer is a diffuse strategy for companies' competitiveness. This paper explores the supply, processing, packing and distribution activities of an extra-virgin oil supply chain of an Italian edible oil distributor and enquires the effects of the adoption of alternative packaging solutions on the environment in accordance with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. Design/methodology/approach The LCA methodology, given the boundaries of the analysis, studies the whole product life-cycle from cradle to grave. In particular, this paper considers the raw olive oil processing, the packaging, and distribution to final consumers, as well as the so-called reverse flows cycle based on waste and packaging disposal and end-of-life treatments. Results of the analyses are summarized and illustrated as a dashboard of environmental-oriented key performance indicators (KPIs) which measure the potential damages occurred to the environment by alternative edible oil supply chain configuration and package solutions. Originality/value Even though the reviewed literatures indicates that agricultural production and food supply chains present fruitful and meaningful instances for the application of LCA methodology, this analysis focuses on the environmental performances of alternative packaging solutions over the supply chain of extra-virgin olive oil.