With FreshProducePEFCR, the sector developed a harmonized European Life Cycle Assessment methodology for fresh fruit and vegetables, enabling more consistent and comparable environmental footprinting across the sector.

FreshProducePEFCR is a harmonized Life Cycle Assessment methodology developed for fresh fruit and vegetables sold on the European market. The project was initiated by Freshfel Europe and brought together representatives from the fresh produce sector, research organisations, and LCA consultancies to create a common methodological framework for assessing and communicating the environmental footprint of fresh produce products. The methodology was developed in alignment with the European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) approach and is applicable across the EU, EFTA countries, and the United Kingdom.

The FreshProducePEFCR addresses one of the key challenges in environmental assessment of fresh produce: ensuring methodological consistency and comparability across a highly diverse product group. The scope of the methodology covers a broad range of fruits and vegetables, including greenhouse and open-field production systems, perennial and non-perennial crops, and products originating from different climatic regions and supply chains.

The development process involved extensive stakeholder consultation and methodological review. Two public consultation rounds were organised, involving producers, trade organisations, research institutes, sustainability initiatives, and technical experts from across Europe. The methodology underwent independent review to ensure consistency with the Environmental Footprint recommendations of the European Commission and to support the creation of credible and harmonized environmental footprint studies for the fresh produce sector.

An important aspect of the project was harmonization with existing methodologies and sector initiatives. The FreshProducePEFCR built further on previous methodological developments within horticulture, including the Wageningen University & Research-led FloriPEFCR for flowers and plants, while also integrating insights from databases and initiatives such as Agribalyse and other Product Category Rules. The result is a robust methodological framework that supports more consistent environmental footprinting within the European fresh produce sector and contributes to broader developments around sustainability communication and ecolabelling.

My role: My involvement in the project evolved over time. During the initial phase of the project, I acted as project lead, coordinating the methodological development and stakeholder process within the Technical Secretariat. Later in the project, my role shifted towards project advisor and contributor, supporting methodological development, harmonization discussions, and stakeholder alignment. The project strongly connected to my broader work on harmonized LCA methodologies, horticultural footprinting, and environmental communication within the European food and agriculture sector.