FAQ - Frequently asked questions

1 – The government’s aim is to introduce an official, operational scheme by the end of 2023. Does this mean that labelling will be compulsory from 2024? If not, from when?

Environmental labelling will initially be voluntary but regulated (in the same way as Nutriscore), and may subsequently become compulsory. As with Nutriscore, the initial aim will be to encourage all operators to move towards the official scheme. However, the precise details are yet to be set out in future decrees and will also depend on forthcoming European regulations.

2 - Given that the long-term aim is to align with the European PEF method, when will this become mandatory?

Full alignment with the PEF will not happen immediately; it is more of a medium-term goal (5 years?). The European ‘green claim’ directive, expected in 2023, may provide further details.

3 - Are factors such as packaging or transport taken into account in environmental labelling?

Yes, absolutely. As are recipes and production methods (e.g. organic farming).

4 - Will products of foreign origin also be subject to environmental labelling?

All products can be scored, although the accuracy of the data will vary depending on the traceability of the supply chains and the data available.

5 - Will companies be able to carry out their own LCAs?

Yes, manufacturers will be able to carry out LCAs using their own data. The parameters (specific/semi-specific) will be specified in the methodology. It should be noted that the calculation of the score is not limited to LCA data.

6 - How will the calculations for the environmental labelling on products be verified?

The method of monitoring and verification has yet to be defined.

7 - Will the environmental labelling apply only to small packages or also to loose products (e.g. vegetables)?

The labelling is intended to apply to all food products and all forms of presentation to the consumer. However, the way the information is provided may vary (on-pack, digital, etc.) and will depend on the purchasing channel and practical arrangements.

8 - The PEF indicators do not sufficiently reflect the environmental benefits of extensive farming systems and agroecology. Will these products be penalised by the environmental labelling scheme?

Analyses by the scientific advisory board and public authorities have indeed identified these areas for attention. Technical solutions are available and will be incorporated into the labelling methodology, notably through indicators that complement the PEF indicators. This will ensure that all the main environmental issues (climate, pesticides, biodiversity, etc.) are properly taken into account in a transparent and consistent manner, within the limits of available scientific knowledge.

9 – Life-cycle assessment is a method that does not take into account all the services provided by agricultural systems; why, then, should it be used?

When rating a product, life-cycle assessment is essential as it allows for the consideration of various impacts throughout its life cycle (production, transport, processing, packaging, storage, cooking, etc.). LCA is essential but not the only approach! Indeed, the results of the LCA are supplemented by other parameters which, at this stage, are not sufficiently taken into account by the LCA and the PEF: biodiversity, production methods, pesticides… When calculating a score, the key challenge is therefore to find the right balance between the various parameters derived from the LCA and the complementary indicators… and that is precisely what we are committed to doing!

10 - Was the LCA developed mainly by and for the industrial sector? Is it suitable for the bioeconomy?

Although initially developed for packaging, LCA research has been focusing on the life sciences sector for over 20 years and involves a very active international community of academic researchers, experts and businesses. A wealth of scientific literature is available, as well as numerous forums for exchange (the LCAfood World Congress, UNEP-SETAC, etc.), enabling progress to be made on the methodology and the available data. LCA now makes it possible to cover, in a transparent and structured manner, a wide range of priority issues for the food sector, even though there is still room for improvement.

Over the years, LCA has thus become the benchmark approach for assessing the environmental impact of all products and services, including agricultural and food products. This methodological framework is supported by public authorities at international (FAO), European (PEF) and national (Climate and Resilience Act, etc.) levels.

11 – What are the differences between LCA, the PEF and Agribalyse? It’s all a bit confusing…

LCA is the international reference methodological framework for quantifying the environmental impacts of a product or service (ISO 14040 standard). This framework remains generic, and its implementation requires numerous technical choices.

The PEF refines the generic ISO framework by proposing calculation methodologies that are the subject of European Commission recommendations¹. The PEF includes a list of 16 indicators, a database and cross-cutting and sector-specific reference frameworks (PEFCR). Agribalyse is the French agricultural and food LCA database, managed by ADEME, INRAE and the technical institutes. It provides impact values for standard products consumed in France (e.g. an ‘average’ baguette). Agribalyse is not the same as environmental labelling. The French environmental labelling scheme will draw on these various ‘elements’ and supplement them to enable specific products to be distinguished and to cover all the main environmental issues.

12 – Environmental labelling is a complex and costly issue; will only large companies be able to comply?

The authorities will ensure that all stakeholders are able to implement environmental labelling by providing the necessary data and tools tailored to the size of the businesses.

13 - How and when will the authorities choose between the Yuka consortium’s Ecoscore and the Planetscore?

The public authorities are basing their decision primarily on the conclusions of the scientific advisory board (see report). Whilst the Ecoscore, used by the Yuka-Eco2 consortium, and the Planetscore, developed by ITAB, both provide interesting points for consideration, they do not fully meet the scientific advisory board’s recommendations. Therefore, the ministries, with the support of ADEME, are developing their own method over the period 2022–2023 – one that is transparent and best meets all the recommendations. This method will be presented to stakeholders in spring 2023 and put forward for discussion, with the aim of finalising and validating it by the end of 2023 (see timetable).

14 - What are the synergies between the French Ecobalyse and the European Eco Food Choice projects ?

Eco Food Choice is a project led by ADEME as part of the European Commission’s LIFE programme. This research project brings together a consortium of nine organisations in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and France. It aims to develop a harmonised methodology at European level to assess and communicate the environmental impacts of food products. Its objective is to provide a solid basis for European stakeholders (both public and private) with a view to future harmonisation at EU level.

Using the Ecobalyse tool, the French Ministry for Ecological Transition and ADEME are developing a national environmental labelling method (the 'environmental cost') covering all sectors, including food, tailored to the realities of the French market. This initiative follows on from the ‘Climate and Resilience’ Act (2021), which mandates public authorities to lead and roll out an eco-label.

These two approaches are complementary and methodologically similar for the food sector. ADEME acts as a bridge between them, ensuring their consistency and future coordination. In the short term, France could introduce a voluntary national scheme, as is already the case in the textile sector, since the rating system is already operational: several companies are already involved in rolling out the ‘environmental cost’ scheme. In the longer term, Europe could harmonise environmental labelling for food products based on the Eco Food Choice method. France would then be ready to align itself with the ‘Eco Food Choice’ method easily.