Protected Geographical Indication “South West duck foie gras” sector: sustainability assessment

Abstract

The objective of this work is to propose methodologies in order to assess the sustainability of agri-food sectors by investigating the environmental impacts together with the social and economic performances of the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) South West duck “foie gras” sector in connection with its territorial anchorage. Environmental impacts were assessed through Life Cycle Assessment. The results provide a detailed overview of the main contributors to the environmental impacts for each stage, from rearing and overfeeding that play a major role in the global balance, down to final consumption. A new method is also proposed to assess the social, economic and territorial performances of an agri-food sector, relying on four major categories: i) dignity and welfare of workers, ii) territory and local life, iii) loyalty and integrity of commercial practices, iv) and wealth creation. For each category a set of indicators is defined and assessed. This method aims at pointing out margins for progress to describe the sector in terms of its social and economic performances. When applied to the “foie gras” sector, this approach has shown that this sector performs well but has highlighted some concerns regarding precarious work and possible improvement concerning the involvement in local life.