Dr Alba Bala at LCAFood 2024

Barcelona is hosting the 14th edition of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Food Conference, which brings together global experts in the field of sustainable food systems. The conference highlights cutting-edge research and discussions on the environmental impact of food production, focusing on reducing negative ecological footprints and promoting sustainable practices in the industry.

The event, recognised as one of the most important in the LCA community, features presentations on various methods to enhance food system sustainability, addressing issues such as water scarcity, soil quality, and nutrient pollution.

Spain, a key contributor to the Mediterranean diet, globally praised for its health benefits and environmental sustainability, is a leading producer of fruits and vegetables in Europe. This diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, pulses, and lean meats, is considered a sustainable alternative to Westernised eating habits.

However, Spain’s food consumption and production patterns are shifting, with increased overconsumption and intensive agricultural practices causing significant environmental and social challenges. To address these issues, Spain’s growing LCA community is working to refine methods to tackle key concerns such as water scarcity, soil degradation, and nutrient pollution, promoting a more sustainable food system.

At the conference, Dr Alba Bala, Executive Director of the UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change at ESCI-UPF, chaired a session on Combined Nutritional and Environmental Assessment of Foods and Diets. This session focused on how various methodologies can be integrated into the nutritional dimension in food LCA studies. Six insightful presentations were featured, including case studies on the greenhouse gas emissions of Peruvian diets, the dietary patterns of young adults in Canada and their impact on climate change, and a combined nutritional and environmental assessment of Portuguese dietary patterns. Additionally, specific foods such as Canadian grains, oilseeds, pulses, and different types of Belgium fish were examined in detail.

Dr Alba Bala also co-organised a plenary session featuring a roundtable discussion on sustainable food systems. This session brought together experts to explore strategies and innovations to create more sustainable food systems, addressing key challenges such as environmental impacts, resource efficiency, and integrating sustainable practices across the food supply chain.

The participation of the ESCI-UPF’s UNESCO Chair Executive Director in these conferences reflects the efforts made to plan the event since November 2022 as part of the LCAFood local scientific organising committee.