The Planet-score environmental labeling scheme debuts in France on a trial basis on 1,000 products for sale on the ecommerce channel. Aiming to demonstrate the effectiveness of this scheme, which French consumers have already shown they favor, in a large survey by the UFC-Que Choisir association.
Planet-score, the first candidate for environmental labeling in France
Planet-score
is the environmental labeling system advocated viva voce by UFC-Que Choisir together with other independent organizations-such as CIWF France, France Nature Environnement, Synadis Bio Fédération Forébi-that in turn express widespread interests related to animal welfare, environmental protection and agroecology.
The ‘Climate’ law-introduced in France to promote the circular economy and combat food waste-in fact, requires the government to decide by Dec. 31.21 which system to adopt for the environmental labeling of food. The Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) and the Ministry of Environment are therefore invited to choose Planet-score as the official system.
Planet-score. Carbon footprint but also pesticides, biodiversity, animal welfare
The Planet-score was designed by the French research institute ITAB(Institut de Agriculture et de l’Aimentation biologiques) with the aim of offering consumers the ability to grasp, at a glance, the level of sustainability of food products. In a broader perspective than just the ‘carbon footprint’ since it-when even referring to the entire product life cycle(Life-Cycle Assessment, LCA), which must also consider the climate cost of nitrogen fertilizers-does not consider the equally essential aspects that follow:
– pesticides. The use of chemically synthesized pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides contributes dramatically to soil sterility, pollution of soils and watersheds (including groundwater, as ISPRA reminds us), and loss of biodiversity (insects, including pollinators, and birds in particular). With serious impacts on the human health of current and future generations,
– biodiversity. Protecting life on earth is the primary goal of agroecology, which theFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has in fact recommended to all its member states to encourage. On the opposite side stand the productions – of palm oil and GMO soybeans, as well as meat in South America, primarily – made at the expense of forests and wildlife,
– animal welfare. As it turns out, the European Commission has further postponed the adoption of a comprehensive strategy on animal welfare. ConsumAtors on the other hand want to be able to recognize-and value, with their purchasing choices, the levels of animal welfare enclosed behind each product. Sexless eggs from free-range hens, animals raised without antibiotics and perhaps even in larger spaces (e.g., organic farms).
Eco-score, the scheme at risk of greenwashing
Eco-score
is an alternative environmental labeling scheme, which, however, as it turns out, draws fierce criticism from consumers, environmentalists and eco-farmers. Such a system-designed by ECO2, the company that launched the sustainable cooking app
etiquitable
– is in fact limited to considering the carbon footprint of products. It has been applied in the French version of our favorite Yuka app, which in fact supplements it with an extra score to be given to organic products. For the environment and for health.
The risk of greenwashing in the Eco-score system is evident where one considers how the processing of raw materials grown with synthetic fertilizers and devastating agrotoxics can enable large industries to score – thanks to investments in renewable energy and other amenities – a similar score to local realities that instead foster biodiversity and nourish soils (rather than deplete them), according to models of agroecology and short supply chain.
Planet-score, the plebiscite of French consumers
UFC-Que Choisir
submitted 5 alternative models of environmental labeling to a sample of 1,000 consumers, in Lidl and Biocoop stores. Collecting the plebiscite vote, 87%, in favor of the Planet-score.
Consumers favor the tool devised by ITAB because it-in offering an extreme news summary-at the same time shows scores on the four key factors. Climate, impact on wildlife (biodiversity), pesticide toxicity, farming method.
General evidence
The Planet-score dress rehearsal involves 40 brands from 35 operators-including eight in large-scale retail (Biocoop, Lidl, Naturalia, Franprix, La Vie Claire, Monoprix, Naturéo, and Greenweez)-which will carry this environmental label on as many as 1,000 food products.
As a result of the government selection, French consumers will thus have an additional tool, in addition to the
Nutri-Score
, to choose healthy, good and fair foods. While the obscurantism continues in Italy, for the sole benefit of the usual notables who pull the reins of ministries and their agencies.
Dario Dongo and Marta Strinati
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
