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Agro-Chain greenhouse gas Emissions calculator – (ACE calculator)

The ACE calculator tool calculates the carbon footprint of supplied food products. It describes the effects of direct GHG emissions along the chain (including effects of inputs) as well as effects of food losses and waste (which result in extra demand for production and other GHG emissions).

By comparing scenarios, e.g. comparing current supply chain with supply chain with food loss and waste (FLW) reducing intervention, the ACE methodology can calculate the effect of a FLW intervention on the net GHG emissions per unit of supplied food.

By providing a large set of typical data (that can be used as estimates for values that are unknown to the user), calculations can be made based on minimum primary data.

The tool was developed in Excel. The user-interface worksheet guides the user in the specification of essential parameters for the system/supply chain in scope. This specification, combined with default parameter values provided in the tool, is used by the calculator, resulting in an estimate for the carbon footprint of the product at the end of the specified chain.

The estimates/secondary data provided by the calculator can be overwritten with more specific values when available, thus making the calculations more accurate.

The tool relies largely on secondary data (unless the user can provide more specific values); the result may therefore be considered an accurate estimate of the final product’s carbon footprint.

What type of insights does the methodology generate?

Estimates of GHG emissions induced by post-harvest FLW.
Estimates of GHG emissions induced at different supply chain stages, including specification to input related GHG emissions (e.g. from electricity use, packaging material use, transport, etc.).
Comparing estimates of GHG emissions in current scenario and scenario with FLW reducing intervention in place.

What type of questions does the methodology help respond?

What is the impact of a food loss & waste reducing intervention on net GHG emissions per unit of the final product supplied?

Link to publications

Case example

A supplier of protective plastic packaging solutions for perishable agro-produce was unsure about the effect of their solution on the net carbon footprints of supplied foods.

On the one hand, the production and end-of-life of plastic cause extra GHG emissions.

On the other hand, since the packaging solution contributes to reducing losses along the chain, the market demand can be fulfilled by producing less crops, which reduces GHG emissions.

Since this company serves various markets, it was not interested in high-accuracy calculation on a single product’s supply chain. For their needs, the use of secondary data was applicable. Consequently, the ACE calculator was used to analyse a diverse set of chain configurations (different product categories and logistic settings) with limited effort.

The results show that the packaging material’s contribution to the product’s total carbon footprint is small (maximum a few per cents). In those cases where the packaging results in substantial reduction of losses, the packaging solution contributes to reducing GHG emissions in the supply chain. The benefits of the packing solution in reducing GHG emissions are most striking in the situation where the shelf-life increase would enable a modal shift from air freight transport to sea freight transport.

Do you have questions about using this tool?

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