Green-Score Methodology & Calculation

🌱 Open Food Transparency

The comprehensive technical reference for calculating the Green-Score (formerly Eco-Score): measuring the environmental footprint of food products from farm to fork, based on Life Cycle Analysis (Agribalyse v3) and product-specific environmental modulators.

🏛️ Reference: docs.score-environnemental.com 📊 LCA Database: ADEME & INRAE Agribalyse v3 ⚖️ License: 100% Free Open Standard 🔄 Status: Active Scientific Standard

1. General Architecture of the Green-Score

The Green-Score is an environmental rating system designed to guide consumers, retailers, and food manufacturers toward a more sustainable food supply. It summarizes the overall ecological impact of a food product onto an intuitive score from 0 to 100, mapped into letter grades from A+ to F (or A to E on standard retail packaging).

Green-Score = LCA Category Benchmark (0–100) + Bonuses (up to +25) − Penalties (up to −25)
Bounded strictly between [0, 100]. A product's score starts from the Life Cycle Analysis of its category, and is modulated by its unique agricultural practices, packaging recyclability, geographic origin, and biodiversity impacts.

Rating Tiers & Score Thresholds

A+ 90 – 100 pts Exceptional (Recipes)
A 80 – 100 pts Very Low Impact
B 60 – 79 pts Low Impact
C 40 – 59 pts Moderate Impact
D 20 – 39 pts High Impact
E 0 – 19 pts Very High Impact
F < 0 pts Critical Impact
Special Exclusion: Natural mineral waters, spring waters, and soft drinks are currently outside the Green-Score scope, as applying category LCA benchmarks to plain bottled beverages could generate misleading conclusions regarding tap water alternatives and packaging trade-offs.

2. Baseline: Life Cycle Assessment (Agribalyse v3)

The foundation of the Green-Score is built on standardized Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data from the French national AGRIBALYSE® program, developed by ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition) and INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment).

Agribalyse compiles rigorous multi-step, multi-criteria environmental assessments for over 2,500 food product categories (linked to the CIQUAL nutritional database). It quantifies emissions and resource consumption across the entire life cycle:

  • Agricultural production: Farm machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, livestock enteric fermentation, manure management, and land occupation.
  • Food processing: Energy consumption, water use, industrial refrigeration, and factory emissions.
  • Packaging: Raw material extraction, manufacturing, and transport of containers.
  • Logistics & Transport: Freight from farms to processing facilities and wholesale distribution centers.
  • Retail & Supermarkets: Store lighting, refrigeration gas leakage, and warehousing.
  • Consumer phase & End of life: Cooking, domestic chilling, and waste water/packaging disposal.
Category Level vs. Product Level: Because baseline Agribalyse LCA figures represent statistical category averages (e.g. all chocolate chip cookies share the same initial baseline), the Green-Score applies complementary indicators (bonuses and penalties) to differentiate individual products based on their actual ingredient origins, certifications, and packaging materials.

3. The 16 Environmental Impact Indicators & Weightings

In accordance with the European Commission's Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology, the Agribalyse LCA tracks 16 distinct midpoint environmental indicators across air, water, and soil.

These 16 indicators are aggregated into a single score using a consensus weighting system derived from a dual consultation of 2,400 European citizens and 518 international environmental scientists across 48 countries:

Compartment Environmental Impact Indicator Scientific Focus Weight
Air / Climate Climate change (CO₂ eq.) Global greenhouse gas emissions impacting the biosphere 21.06%
Air Fine particulate matter emissions Inhalable particulates (PM2.5) impacting respiratory human health 8.96%
Water Water resource depletion Consumption of fresh water accounting for local regional water scarcity 8.51%
Soil / Energy Fossil resource depletion Consumption of finite non-renewable energy stocks (oil, gas, coal, uranium) 8.32%
Soil Land use & soil degradation Occupation and transformation of natural habitats affecting biodiversity 7.94%
Soil / Minerals Mineral resource depletion Extraction of scarce minerals, ores, copper, potassium, and rare earths 7.55%
Air Stratospheric ozone depletion CFC-equivalent emissions weakening the UV atmospheric shield 6.31%
Air / Soil Terrestrial acidification Chemical emissions (SO₂, NOₓ, NH₃) causing acid rain and soil imbalance 6.20%
Air / Soil Ionizing radiation Radioactive impacts from nuclear electricity production 5.01%
Air Photochemical ozone formation Ground-level smog creation harmful to plant and human respiration 4.78%
Soil Terrestrial eutrophication Excess reactive nitrogen deposition degrading wild ecosystems 3.71%
Water Marine eutrophication Nitrogen runoff into coastal waters producing toxic algal blooms 2.96%
Water Freshwater eutrophication Phosphorus enrichment leading to lake and river hypoxia (dead zones) 2.80%
Human Health Carcinogenic human toxicity Exposure to toxic compounds correlated with increased cancer risks 2.13%
Water Freshwater ecotoxicity Chemical toxicity impacting aquatic flora and fauna 1.92%
Human Health Non-carcinogenic human toxicity Chemical pollution causing non-cancer systemic toxic effects 1.84%

4. Normalization: Converting the Single Score to 0–100

The 16 weighted indicators produce a raw Single Score (expressed in millipoints, mPt, per kilogram of food as consumed). Because environmental impacts follow a non-linear power distribution (where red meat or air-freighted foods can have dozens of times the impact of seasonal tubers or legumes), the raw score is normalized onto an intuitive 0–100 scale using a logarithmic transformation.

General Food Products Formula

For all standard solid food categories, where \(x\) is the Single Score in millipoints per kg (mPt/kg):

ScoreLCA = −25 × ln(100 × x + 1) + 100

The result is strictly bounded within the interval [0, 100]. A lower single score yields a higher Green-Score.

Liquid Beverages Formula

Because beverages are consumed in significantly higher volumes per portion (200–500ml vs 50–100g), their scaling curve is adjusted:

ScoreLCA = −36 × ln(100 × x + 1) + 150

Applies to milk, plant-based milks, fruit juices, and vegetable drinks. Strictly bounded within [0, 100].

5. Complementary Indicator: Production Systems & Labels

Standard LCA databases do not fully capture agricultural externalities such as biodiversity protection, topsoil erosion prevention, hedgerow preservation, and synthetic pesticide reduction. To reward virtuous farming practices, products certified with recognized environmental labels receive a bonus from +5 to +20 points:

Group 1: Organic & Biodynamic

+20 points
Strict ban on synthetic pesticides and mineral nitrogen fertilizers, demanding crop rotations, soil regeneration, and high animal welfare standards.
Eligible: AB (Agriculture Biologique), EU Organic Leaf, Demeter, Bio Cohérence, Nature & Progrès.

Group 2: Agroecological Standards

+15 points
Recognized agroecological schemes guaranteeing targeted environmental criteria, pesticide limits, and sustainable supply chains.
Eligible: Label Rouge, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, Fairtrade / Max Havelaar.

Group 3: Sustainable Transitions

+10 points
Certifications promoting farm biodiversity infrastructures, sustainable fishing quotas, or low-pesticide integrated pest management.
Eligible: HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale Level 3), Bleu Blanc Coeur, MSC (Marine Stewardship Council), ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council).
Cumulative Rule: If a product combines multiple labels, bonuses are summed up to a strict maximum ceiling of +20 points (with the restriction that MSC and ASC marine labels cannot be accumulated with one another).

6. Local Sourcing & Transportation Footprint

Agribalyse averages assume generic trade flows. The Green-Score collects the specific country of origin for each ingredient in the recipe and calculates a fine-grained Transport Score (0 to 100) based on real geodesic distances, freight modes, and CO₂ emissions factors from the ADEME Carbon Database:

Transport Bonus = 0.15 × ∑ (ai × pi)
Where \(a_i\) is the transport score of the origin country/fishing area for ingredient \(i\), and \(p_i\) is its percentage in the recipe (∑ \(p_i\) = 100%). Yields a bonus between 0 and +15 points.

Modal Mix Assumptions

  • European trade: Weighted mix of road freight, electrified rail, and short-sea shipping (Eurostat trade statistics).
  • Non-European imports: 100% maritime cargo freight (container ships), plus domestic road legs between farms, ports, and national logistics hubs.
  • Air freight: Excluded from standard retail averages due to low volume (0.1%), but heavily penalized if detected.

ADEME Carbon Database Emission Factors

  • Road freight (heavy truck): 162.7 g CO₂e / tonne-km
  • Maritime freight (container vessel): 10.1 g CO₂e / tonne-km
  • Rail freight (French electrified network): 4.2 g CO₂e / tonne-km

7. Environmental Policy of the Producing Country (EPI)

To reflect the national regulatory framework of the countries where ingredients are grown (water discharge rules, renewable energy transition, pesticide restrictions, and biodiversity protection), the Green-Score incorporates the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) produced biennially by Yale and Columbia Universities:

Origin Score = [(EPIcountry − EPIavg) / (EPImax − EPIavg)] × 100
Normalized so that the top-performing nation (EPImax = Denmark, ~82.5) receives 100/100, while countries at or below the world average (EPIavg = 46.6) receive 0.

The weighted origin score is translated into a net modifier between −5 and +5 points:

Environmental Policy Modulator = (Weighted Origin Score / 10) − 5

8. Packaging Circularity & End-of-Life

Packaging contributes significantly to global resource depletion, ocean microplastic pollution, and landfill accumulation. The Green-Score assesses each packaging component across two dimensions:

Upstream Score (Raw Materials)

Evaluates resource sourcing from 0 to 100:

ScoreUp = A×1.0 + B×0.75 + C×0.5 + D×0
  • A: Recycled materials (e.g. 100% rPET, recycled cardboard)
  • B: Sustainable renewable (e.g. FSC/PEFC wood/paper)
  • C: Non-certified renewable (standard biobased plastic)
  • D: Virgin non-renewable (virgin fossil plastics, aluminum, virgin glass)

Downstream Score (End of Life)

Evaluates circular waste handling from 0 to 100:

ScoreDown = A×1.0 + B×0.5 + C×0
  • A: 100% Recyclable across municipal sorting bins (steel, glass, PET bottles, cardboard)
  • B: Home/Industrial biodegradable (raw wood, cork)
  • C: Incineration or landfill disposal (multilayers, unrecyclable composite plastics)
Packaging Penalty = −15 × [1 − (ScoreUp + ScoreDown) / 200]
Results in a penalty from 0 to −15 points. Highly recyclable packaging with recycled content receives 0 penalty, while complex non-recyclable multi-plastics receive the full −15 penalty.
Crucial Packaging Eligibility Gate: Regardless of its total numerical score out of 100, a product can NEVER receive a Green-Score A unless all its packaging elements are fully recyclable or biodegradable. Non-recyclable packaging automatically caps the product at grade B or lower.

9. Threatened Species & Deforestation Penalties

Certain agricultural and fishery commodities pose critical threats to planetary biodiversity. The Green-Score implements strict safeguards against overfishing and rainforest destruction:

Overfished Marine Species

Capped at Grade E
For products containing ≥ 30% wild fish, crustacean, or mollusk content, stock status is cross-referenced with FAO fishing areas and scientific recommendations from Ethic Ocean, WWF, and IFREMER.
If the stock is critically depleted or overexploited in that FAO zone, the product automatically receives a Green-Score E, overriding all other calculations.

Palm Oil & Deforestation

−10 points
Oil palm monocultures in Southeast Asia represent a prime cause of tropical deforestation and habitat loss for endangered primates, tigers, and birds.
A −10 points penalty is automatically applied unless the palm oil is certified 100% RSPO Segregated (SG) or Identity Preserved (IP).

10. Prepared Meals & Catering Recipes

For multi-ingredient recipes, prepared dishes, and institutional catering menus, the Green-Score is calculated through ingredient-weighted aggregation:

  • Recipe LCA: The sum of individual ingredient LCAs weighted by their mass fraction in the recipe: \(\text{LCA}_{\text{dish}} = \sum (\text{LCA}_i \times m_i / M_{\text{total}})\).
  • Seasonality Modulator: For fresh produce (e.g. heated greenhouse winter tomatoes vs. seasonal field crops), recipes prepared out of season receive specific penalties.
  • Packaging & Service: Catering dishes served in reusable washable crockery receive zero packaging penalty, whereas single-use containers incur proportional penalties.

11. Governance, Independent Verification & Open License

The Green-Score was initiated by an open consortium of digital actors committed to food transparency, including Open Food Facts, Yuka, Marmiton, ScanUp, ECO2 Initiative, La Fourche, and dozens of collaborating partners.

100% Free & Open Standard

The Green-Score methodology, documentation, and source code are entirely open and accessible to all. No royalties or commercial licensing fees are charged for displaying the score. Any manufacturer, retailer, or application developer can compute and display the Green-Score.

Independent Verification Bodies

To ensure consumer trust and prevent greenwashing, manufacturers displaying the Green-Score on packaging undergo verification by accredited independent third-party audit organizations conforming to the official reference rules.

🌐 Official Consortium Documentation (docs.score-environnemental.com) ➔ 📊 Back to Guides, Scores & Methodologies Hub 🍏 Green-Score Consumer Guide 🔬 ADEME Agribalyse Database