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Janjoris van Diepen, footprint director North America, Mérieux NutriSciences/Blonk Sustainability, explains how companies setting targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions create a strong pull for data in the supply chain, requiring pet food producers to initiate carbon footprint management strategies and develop decarbonization pathways. Ingredients are the main driver of carbon emissions for pet food production, and their footprints can vary significantly by source, while also being influenced by choices in accounting approaches and data quality. Therefore, an industry standard for LCA methods and data creation is key to creating a level playing field and assuring fair comparisons of ingredients’ environmental footprints. In Europe, considerable work has been done toward such a standard; the broader feed industry has developed a footprint standard and database within the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI). The European (EFPRA) and North American (NARA) rendering associations have both initiated GFLI projects collecting data and creating an environmental footprint for rendered animal byproducts used in the feed and pet food ingredient markets. They aim to help the pet food industry compare the environmental footprint of those products with plant-based ingredients already in the GFLI database.

Allison Burdick, sustainability analyst, Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), also provides information on PSC's ingredients database tool through its partnership with HowGood.

Session includes time for group work on the mock LCA.

Session supported by Extru-Tech Inc.