Life Cycle Thinking in the Agri-Food Sector—Advancing Sustainability, Circularity, and Environmental Assessment

Dear Colleagues,

The agri-food sector is facing unprecedented challenges, balanced between the need to ensure global food security and the urgent imperative to reduce environmental impacts, mitigate climate change, and optimize resource efficiency. To address these complexities, a shift from linear perspectives to holistic, systemic approaches is paramount. Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) represents a cornerstone framework in this transition, moving beyond traditional boundaries to evaluate the comprehensive impacts of food products and processes. This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews on the application of LCT methodologies across the entire agri-food value chain, including livestock and animal production systems. We welcome contributions utilizing Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to quantify ecological footprints, Life Cycle Costing (LCC) to assess economic viability and circular business models, and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) to evaluate human and societal implications. By integrating these three pillars, this Special Issue will explore how LCT can serve as an innovative driver for eco-design, waste reduction, dietary shifts, and policy formulation. For the scientific community, this collection will provide a high-level platform to bridge the gap between methodological advancements and practical applications in farming, processing, packaging, and distribution. We invite researchers to contribute original studies, case studies, and methodological frameworks that demonstrate how LCT can shape the future of sustainable, resilient, and transparent food systems.

Dr. Umile Gianfranco Spizzirri
Guest Editor

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