Carbon footprint is a measure of the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with a product or activity, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents, and is used by food buyers to assess the climate impact of supply chains.
In trade practice
Buyers increasingly request carbon footprint data as part of supplier questionnaires or sustainability assessments, covering field production, processing, packaging and reefer transport. Suppliers may use life-cycle assessment methodologies aligned with ISO 14067 or the GHG Protocol Product Standard to calculate and report figures. Common gaps include omitting upstream agricultural emissions or using generic transport emission factors rather than route-specific data. Third-party verification of footprint claims is sometimes required by retail buyers.
In a specification
A purchase specification or sustainability annex may require the supplier to declare the product carbon footprint per tonne of finished goods, calculated to a named methodology and verified by a named auditor.