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Participation in S-LCA: A Methodological Proposal Applied to Belgian Alternative Food Chains (Part 1)

Author

Listed:
  • Solène Sureau

    (Institute for environnemental management and land-use planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • François Lohest

    (Institute for environnemental management and land-use planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Joris Van Mol

    (Institute for environnemental management and land-use planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Tom Bauler

    (Institute for environnemental management and land-use planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Wouter M. J. Achten

    (Institute for environnemental management and land-use planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium)

Abstract

In social life cycle assessment (S-LCA), the use of a participatory approach to define and select assessment criteria and indicators (C&Is) is recommended given the specificity of social issues, but it has been, for now, rarely implemented and presents methodological challenges. Within a participatory action research project gathering academic researchers and field actors, we tested the applicability of configuring a C&Is list for S-LCA, together with chain actors of three alternative food distribution systems active in Belgium. The purpose of this article is to present the results of this work and to examine the methodological limits, requirements, and contributions of such an approach. The participatory approach is an appropriate method to build a list of C&Is standing out from other studies, with the identification of ambitious and innovative C&Is relating to value-chain actors (VCAs) stakeholder category, on chain governance and transaction modalities. In our case, it required an adaptation work of C&Is to the S-LCA requirements and the use of a specific theoretical approach to articulate C&Is within a coherent framework. Finally, this kind of work seems useful to give ground to the S-LCA Guidelines’ list of subcategories, which was built through a rather top-down expert-based approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Solène Sureau & François Lohest & Joris Van Mol & Tom Bauler & Wouter M. J. Achten, 2019. "Participation in S-LCA: A Methodological Proposal Applied to Belgian Alternative Food Chains (Part 1)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-24, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:8:y:2019:i:4:p:160-:d:270704
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Solène Sureau & Wouter Achten & Bernard BM Mazijn, 2016. "How assessment criteria and indicators are defined and selected in Social LCA: a literature review," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/227323, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Solène Sureau & François Lohest & Joris Van Mol & Thomas Bauler & Wouter Achten, 2019. "How Do Chain Governance and Fair Trade Matter? A S-LCA Methodological Proposal Applied to Food Products from Belgian Alternative Chains (Part 2)," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/291586, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    3. Klaas Calker & Paul Berentsen & Gerard Giesen & Ruud Huirne, 2005. "Identifying and ranking attributes that determine sustainability in Dutch dairy farming," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 22(1), pages 53-63, March.
    4. Solène Sureau & Sabrina S.N. Neugebauer & Wouter Achten, 2019. "Different paths in social life cycle impact assessment (S-LCIA) – a classification of Type II or impact pathways approaches," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/293437, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Ruqun Wu & Dan Yang & Jiquan Chen, 2014. "Social Life Cycle Assessment Revisited," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(7), pages 1-27, July.
    6. Solène Sureau & François Lohest & Joris Van Mol & Tom Bauler & Wouter M. J. Achten, 2019. "How Do Chain Governance and Fair Trade Matter? A S-LCA Methodological Proposal Applied to Food Products from Belgian Alternative Chains (Part 2)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-26, August.
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