New life cycle database on food consumption

A strategic tool to drive Climate-Smart Action in Québec

Authors

  • Laure Patouillard CIRAIG, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, P.O. Box 6079, Montréal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7814-3365
  • Titouan Greffe CIRAIG, Institute of Environmental Sciences, UQAM, Montreal, Quebec H2X 3Y7, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9377-4552
  • Estelle Louineau CIRAIG, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, P.O. Box 6079, Montréal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8238-6793
  • Catherine Houssard CIRAIG, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, P.O. Box 6079, Montréal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada
  • Cécile Bulle CIRAIG, Institute of Environmental Sciences, UQAM, Montreal, Quebec H2X 3Y7, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v13i2.792

Keywords:

carbon footprint, life cycle assessment, food, Québec, Life cycle inventory database, Food consumption

Abstract

Purpose: Food consumption is a major contributor to individual carbon footprint but it varies significatively across regions due to differences in production conditions, supply-chain configurations, and eating habits. It is therefore essential to provide a regionalized overview of food consumption patterns and their potential impact on climate change to enable businesses, governments and citizens to target effective and locally relevant actions toward a more sustainable food consumption.

Methods: We develop the first life cycle inventory database of food consumption in the province of Québec (Canada) and build a farm to fork model covering 58 food categories consumed in 2018. Food intakes are derived from a 24-hour recall survey of 2297 Québec adults conducted in 2015. Consumption markets (domestic and imported), food production processes, food loss and waste rates and transportation distances are regionalized. We analyze the main contributors to food consumption carbon footprint across the supply chain and outline the profile of eight Québec adults’ archetypes.

Results: The average carbon footprint of food consumption in Québec is 2377 kg CO2eq per capita per year. Gender-and-age-based carbon footprints archetypes range from 1.7 and 2.9 metric tons CO2eq/adult/year. Meat and dairy contribute to 48% and food waste contributes 17% to the carbon footprint of purchased food.

Perspectives: This initial diagnostic provides a baseline for identifying the key drivers of Québec’s food consumption carbon footprint. While further regionalization and greater granularity are still needed, this initiative offers a solid foundation for stakeholders to shape sustainable food systems and drive climate change mitigation.

Author Biographies

Laure Patouillard, CIRAIG, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, P.O. Box 6079, Montréal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada

is a Research Professional at CIRAIG and Adjunct Professor at UQAM, has over 15 years' experience applying life cycle assessment (LCA) across sectors. She holds a PhD in industrial engineering from Polytechnique Montréal and researches responsible production and consumption, uncertainty, planetary boundaries, and AI in LCA. She contributed to IMPACT World+, chairs Canada's ISO mirror committee on LCA, and co-leads the POLARIIS+ project developing environmental LCA data for Canada.

Titouan Greffe, CIRAIG, Institute of Environmental Sciences, UQAM, Montreal, Quebec H2X 3Y7, Canada

is a Postdoctoral fellow at CIRAIG and UQAM. During his PhD, he developed two life cycle impact assessment methods of dissipative flows of mineral and fossil resources, integrated into the IMPACT World+ framework. He is working on the development of a comprehensive life cycle inventory database model for food consumption within POLARIIS+ infrastructure and the operationalization of life cycle impact assessment methods of mineral resource dissipation.

Estelle Louineau, CIRAIG, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, P.O. Box 6079, Montréal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada

is a PhD candidate at CIRAIG and UQAM. Her PhD project investigates tensions and synergies between life cycle assessment (LCA) and degrowth-oriented political ecology. Through case studies of ecovillages and alternative lifestyles, it combines environmental footprint assessment and interviews to examine LCA's assumptions, limitations, and potential contributions to developing more sustainable, just, and democratic ways of living. She has more than five years of experience in LCA on products and services.

Catherine Houssard, CIRAIG, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, P.O. Box 6079, Montréal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada

is a Senior Analyst at CIRAIG. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in engineering and project management in the agri-food sector at the international level. She holds degrees in organizational social responsibility from ESG UQAM and in agri-food engineering from Institut Agro Dijon. She earned a PhD in industrial engineering from Polytechnique Montréal, specializing in life cycle assessment and sustainable food systems.

Cécile Bulle, CIRAIG, Institute of Environmental Sciences, UQAM, Montreal, Quebec H2X 3Y7, Canada

is a Professor at ESG-UQAM and Co-Chairholder of the International Chair on Life Cycle Assessment. She also co-holds the Research Chair on Sustainable Consumption, which hosts POLARIIS+, a collaborative digital infrastructure developed by CIRAIG to structure and disseminate regionalized life cycle inventory data for Canada. Her research focusses on developing and operationalizing LCA across decision-making scales. She leads IMPACT World+, an international initiative developing regionalized environmental impact assessment methods.

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Published

2026-08-27

How to Cite

Patouillard, L., Greffe, T., Louineau, E., Houssard, C., & Bulle, C. (2026). New life cycle database on food consumption: A strategic tool to drive Climate-Smart Action in Québec. Canadian Food Studies La Revue Canadienne Des études Sur l’alimentation, 13(2), 86–116. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v13i2.792

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2026): Finding Allies

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Laure Patouillard, Titouan Greffe, Estelle Louineau, Catherine Houssard, Cécile Bulle

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