Assessment of environmental impacts associated with production of breakfast cereal using life cycle assessment: approach for sustainable development.

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of ready-to-eat breakfast cereal production in India, a rapidly growing food sector with limited environmental assessment. Using the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint and Endpoint methods, three scenarios were evaluated: conventional production, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy integration. The results reveal clear environmental hotspots in agricultural production, particularly rice irrigation, fertilizer use, and sugarcane production that drive impacts such as global warming, eutrophication, and human toxicity. The integration of sustainable practices and renewable energy reduced the global warming potential (climate change) by 31%, fine particulate matter formation by 28%, terrestrial acidification by 30%, human carcinogenic toxicity by 25%, fossil resource scarcity by highest 32%, and water consumption by 21%. These findings underscore that combining sustainable farming inputs with renewable energy transitions can meaningfully reduce the environmental burden of cereal production. Beyond quantitative results, the study highlights critical data gaps in pesticide emissions and irrigation flows, providing a methodological framework to strengthen future LCA studies in emerging economies. The outcomes offer practical guidance for industry stakeholders and policymakers seeking to align food production with sustainability goals.