Food-print, the environmental cost of food: conceptual contributions from an EXPO 2015 scientific conference

To create a balance between food security and natural resources, renewing is one of the main world challenges that a global event like Expo 2015 - the Universal Exhibition hosted by Milan - must necessarily deal with. 'Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life' is the Expo 2015 core theme, and the eco-sustainability of food production and consumption is strongly related with it. The environmental implications of agri-food chains is furthermore a strategic issue in a local/territorial perspective: for both farms and business companies the improvement of their environmental performances is an increasingly competitive element and the environmental valorisation of rural systems represents a key factor particularly for marginal area development. With the aim of enhancing this debate, this paper analyses the main scientific conclusions deriving from the 'Food-print' conference held at Expo 2015. The event was an initiative for thinking over and disseminating the current scientific knowledge about the environmental cost of food, with a specific focus on food products from livestock production systems. The action strategy was based on the life-cycle thinking approach. From a scientific point of view, this approach allows measuring food sustainability under all its aspects/dimensions, providing a holistic and multi-perspective vision of the environmental implications related to the life cycle of food: from the extraction of raw materials until the end of life of food products. Leading experts from some of the most relevant national and international institutions enriched the 'Food-print' event discussing studies, researches, techniques and experiences on the big issue of the quality and environmental sustainability of food. FAO explored the inter-linkages between the rapidly increasing demand for animal protein and environmental consequences, as well as advanced possible actions that are appropriate for the enhancement of the sector's role in food security, poverty reduction, economic development while contributing to environmental sustainability. Agroscope (Swiss centre for agricultural research) showed as the Life Cycle Assessment applications may support retailers and consumers when seeking to sell/buy in a more environment-friendly way. ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) and National Research Council (Italy) provided some case studies about the environmental footprint of food products. Granarolo Group, one of the main Italian business players in the dairy product sector, illustrated its experience in environmental communication. University of Sassari (Italy) talked about the ways to split the social costs related to the food environmental impacts. Ministry of the Environment of Italy and Region of Sardinia presented the main national and regional public initiatives to improve the agri-food chains eco-sustainability.