An innovative tool to evaluate and optimize GHG emissions in the food supply

Food systems’ contribution to GHG emissions is estimated to be around 30% of the total emissions. Heating and cooling technologies in food supply chains are highly important in maintaining the safety and quality of perishable food, but these operations are also energy-intensive and GHG emitters. Simulation tools can be essential for the evaluation of the efficiency and sustainability of food supply chains. Such tools can help in identifying critical points in those chains where efforts should be concentrated to reduce energy consumption and emissions. The software tool presented in this paper can perform a detailed analysis of the food supply chains with a focus on quality, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions. Based on a tool previously developed in the European FRISBEE project about refrigeration technologies, the software is extended to the simulation of non-perishable foods, heating processes, use of renewable energy sources, and use of heat recovery. This simulation tool will suggest possible improvements of simulated chains to reduce GHG emissions, based on roadmaps developed in ENOUGH European project.