Life Cycle Assessment Applied to Milk Production and Processing: An Integrative Systematic Literature Review

This study summarizes advancements in life cycle assessment (LCA) that enhance our understanding of environmental sustainability in milk production and processing. A systematic review of 84 papers published between 2018 and 2024 was conducted to highlight the topics and the main methodological elements that can aid in prioritizing interventions from an environmental standpoint. The findings indicate that the most discussed topics include farming management strategies, mitigation approaches, and livestock management. Limited attention was given to the circular economy, energy efficiency, milk production and consumption, and feed management. In the goal and scope phase, only 36 studies followed a standard LCA methodology, while 53 took a comparative approach and 32 a descriptive one. In the inventory analysis phase, 23% relied solely on modeled data, 72% on experimental data, and 56 studies used IPCC guidelines for emission factors. For impact assessment, the main categories addressed were global warming potential, eutrophication potential, and acidification potential, with ReCiPe being the most commonly used method. Importantly, more than half of the studies did not conduct uncertainty or sensitivity analyses; only 27% performed sensitivity analyses and 12% performed uncertainty analyses. The review offers insights for advocates of LCA and suggests future research directions.