Product carbon footprint of rye bread

Abstract The primary purpose of this paper is to estimate the carbon footprint of conventional rye bread produced on an industrial scale and consumed in Denmark by identifying the stages that contribute significantly to the carbon footprint (hotspots) of production. The results are then interpreted by comparing and discussing the results of this study with the results of other studies identified in the extant body of literature. To estimate the carbon footprint, we considered an industrial bakery supply chain in a single in-depth quantitative case study. Using an attributional approach, we estimated the carbon footprint of 1 kg of rye bread to be 731 g CO2 equivalents (CO2eq). As in previous studies, the primary hotspot was found to be the raw material stage, especially agricultural production (cultivation), with processing and distribution stages as secondary hotspots. The waste management stage was determined to be an important and previously overlooked opportunity for improvement.

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