391: Integrating Sustainability Indicators for Plant-Based Proteins: A Review on Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment Framework

Introduction

Transitioning from animal-based protein to plant-based alternatives has emerged as a promising strategy to address global challenges such as climate change, economic instability, and food insecurity faced by the agri-food systems. Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) has been proposed as an effective quantitative method for evaluating overall sustainability across a product’s life cycle, but its application to plant-based proteins remains limited and inconsistent.

Methods

This study aims to systematically review the existing literature from 2011 to 2024, identify key methodologies, and offer practical recommendations for applying sustainability assessments to plant-based proteins.

Results

The results show that LCSA results can be evaluated independently or integrated into a single-score score method, such as multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Specifically, environmental indicators focus on resource consumption, air pollution, and climate impacts, capturing the complexities of agri-food systems; economically, key metrics are based on profitability and feasibility analysis, and process optimization and the evaluation of emerging technologies are more beneficial; for social, incorporating diverse stakeholder perspectives and identifying social hotspots are critical to improving social impact evaluations, with workers, society, and local communities frequently evaluated as key stakeholders. Additionally, the alignment of core procedures is key to ensuring consistency and completeness of a reliable LCSA framework.

Significance

Assessing the trade-offs and synergies among sustainability dimensions is essential in providing credible insights to decision-makers. Developing a robust LCSA framework tailored for agri-food systems enables more comprehensive evaluations, advancing sustainability within this sector. These models should prioritize addressing specialized aspects—such as geographical, political, and technological contexts—through a consistent and objective approach.

Authors: Millena Cruz, Minliang Yang