LIFE TTGG, the first results of the supply chain: the certification of the dataset
The project involves 7 highly qualified partners: Consorzio tutela Grana Padano, Politecnico di Milano, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Piacenza, Fondazione Qualivita, oriGIn, Enersem and CNIEL
Thanks to the work of all the involved partners, the LIFE TTGG Project starts to reap its benefits! Among the most relevant results there is the creation of a set of strategic tools to stimulate learning and innovative capacity of companies in the Grana Padano DOP cheese supply chain. The project, co-financed by the European Programme for Environment and Climate Action (Life 2014-2020), foresaw the application of the European methodology Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and the specific Category Rules (PEFCR) on which basis it was possible to carry out a representative sampling of the production realities along the entire value chain of Grana Padano PDO cheese.
The data collection involved 68 farms, 19 dairies and 18 packagers, enabling the assessment of environmental performance of the entire supply chain and the consequent creation of average and aggregated datasets. In particular, 3 datasets were produced for the raw milk production phase, 3 datasets for the cheese making phase, 1 dataset for the packaging phase and finally 1 aggregate dataset of the entire supply chain. The conformity of the datasets to the PEF method has led to the achievement of the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) certification, laying the foundations for a future sharing of aggregated data of the Grana Padano PDO supply chain with the international scientific community.
The development of datasets has also allowed to publish the Rules by Product Category within the Made Green in Italy brand, the first national certification scheme on the environmental footprint of the product, thanks to which the companies of the Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano PDO cheese will be able to assess and promote the sustainability of their products, raising awareness of the entire supply chain and meeting the needs of final consumers.
In order to be able to evaluate the environmental impact of the production of PDO cheeses and any environmental hotspots, a software is being created, Environmental Decision Support Tool (SSDA), which will have the task of translating the PEF guidelines into a system of calculation and improvement of the entire production chain. The LIFE TTGG project, recognized as the LIFE project of the month of June 2021 by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, represents the starting point for the sustainable transition of the national dairy sector, which sees the Grana Padano PDO Consortium as a protagonist.
| The Consorzio di tutela and the companies with PDO and PGI production can ask more information by writing to the person in charge of the Politecnico di Milano: pieter.ravaglia@polimi.it. |
Fonte: Università Cattolica di Piacenza