Research for assessment method of expression of the carbon footprint of meats

The environmental impact assessment of the agricultural activities is justifiable, but it’s a subject under development; some methodological points staying debate there. So, in the framework of a French project of displaying of these impacts to the consumer, this study investigated a particular point of the method of carbon impact calculation, up to now weakly approached: the allowance of the upstream impacts between the various parts of the animal , after slaughtering. Six different animal species have been investigated. The objective analysis of the various keys of allowance led to recommend the use of the mass allowance by dry material. Other goal of the study is to determine a functional unit according to which will be represented the environmental impact to the consumer. A nutritional functional unit was built and tested on several foodstuffs. It turns out that it represents an objective alternative to the mass because it takes into account the specific function of the food.