Product Environmental Footprint 
(PEF) of agricultural products 
 
Workshop, Helsinki, Finland 
19th September 2018 
 
Organizers 
 
 
Hannele Pulkkinen &Merja Saarinen, Luke 
John E Hermansen & Troels Kristensen, AU 
Ulf Sonesson & Anna Woodhouse,  SP 
Hanne Møller, Ostfoldforskning 
  
Funders 
 
Introduction to Product Environmental Footprint - PEF for 
the agricultural and food sectors 
 
 
Hannele Pulkkinen, Research Scientist  
 
Workshop, Helsinki, Finland 
19th September 2018 
 
  
4 25.9.2018 Natural Resources Institute Finland – Luke            Hannele Pulkkinen 
”We want that we have 
reliable methods, which 
enable products’ 
environmental impact 
assessment for future 
decision making and policy” 
Views on Environmental Footprint / EU Environment: 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTK59eseDBQ 
Challenges of the European 
Commission 
• Increase the coherence of the EU policy framework  
• Enhance competitiveness, green growth, and 
innovation  
• Make consumption more environmentally 
sustainable  
• Proliferation of labels/schemes  
• Misleading claims  
 
ISO 
WRI 
PAS 
EN 
EPD 
LEAP 
ENVIFOOD 
5 25.9.2018 Natural Resources Institute Finland – Luke            Hannele Pulkkinen 
Product Environmental Footprint 
• Companies: help at design better 
products  
• Consumption markets: complementing 
the current approach of rewarding "best 
in class" products  
• Consumers: more informed choices  
• Member States: linking 
incentives/disincentives to the 
environmental performance of a product 
along its supply chain 
• Policy makers: clearer picture of the 
potential environmental impacts & 
setting targets based on such information 
6 25.9.2018 Natural Resources Institute Finland – Luke            Hannele Pulkkinen 
What has been done? 
• General guidelines 2013 
• Development of more specific Product Category 
Rules (PEFPCRs) in pilot phase 2013-2017 
– 27 product categories/sectors started, 13 published 
– Specifications to general guidelines as Guidance for 
development of PEFCRs 
• Transition phase 2018-2020 
– Voluntary implementation 
– Development of new PEFCRs/methods/guidances 
• Policy proposal 2020->  
7 25.9.2018 Natural Resources Institute Finland – Luke            Hannele Pulkkinen 
Product category rules at agrifood 
sector 
1. Published product guidelines for: 
– Dairy, pasta, beer, wine, packed water, feed for 
food producing animals 
 
2. Published sector guidelines for: 
– Retail 
 
3. Coming in autumn: 
– Olive oil 
8 25.9.2018 Natural Resources Institute Finland – Luke            Hannele Pulkkinen 
How new guidelines are better than 
previous ones? 
• General guidances harmonize environmental impact assessment of 
different product groups and sectors  
– Common rules to common processes 
– Common impact assessment methods 
– Common principles for data quality rules 
 
• More specific guidances for product categories/sectors 
– Specific definition for goal of assessments (functional unit, system 
boundaries etc.)  
– Pre-defined most important processes, which have higher data quality 
requirements 
– Pre-defined most important environmental impacts, which shall be used 
for communication 
 
• Always when results are communicated, assessment shall be verified 
9 25.9.2018 Natural Resources Institute Finland – Luke            Hannele Pulkkinen 
Summary 
• Few food categories already have new 
guidelines available 
• European Commission’s initiative has 
activated European, and also importing, 
companies 
• Experiences on implementing and further 
development of guidelines are needed 
• From now on EC is discussing policy measures 
 
10 25.9.2018 Natural Resources Institute Finland – Luke            Hannele Pulkkinen 
Targets of today 
• Collecting your feedback, hopes and worries 
regarding PEF 
• Giving more insights regarding specific issues 
regarding agri-food sectors 
• Inspiring and motivating to work towards more 
sustainable food production and consumption 
 
 
 
Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) of agricultural products 
9.00-
10.30 
Plenary session  
Introduction to PEF for the agricultural and food sectors, Hannele Pulkkinen, 
Research Scientist, Luke 
From PEF pilot phase to concrete implementation: the EU Feed industry 
perspective, Nicolas Martin, Policy Advisor, FEFAC – European Feed Manufacturers’ 
Federation 
Thoughts from the industry – Opportunities and challenges with PEF, Martin 
Laurentz, Sustainability Project Manager, Lantmännen 
Data challenges in agricultural sector – data collection and representativeness, 
Troels Kristensen, senior researcher, Aarhus University 
LCA modelling challenges in agricultural sector – soil carbon, Marie Trydeman 
Knudsen, Research Scientist, Aarhus University 
Overview of data collection initiatives regarding environmental impact assessment 
in agricultural sector, Ulf Sonesson, Associate Professor, RISE 
10.30-
12.30 
Workshop 
Collecting and discussing stakeholders’ comments and feedback to PEF regarding the 
agricultural sector 
12.30-
13.00  
Wrap up