ECO FOOD CHOICE: Harmonising food ecolabelling on a European scale

One proposed solution is a food ecolabel: a label that indicates the environmental impact of a food product by displaying an environmental score on the packaging, allowing consumers to see which products have more or less impact. Funded by the EU LIFE programme, the ECO FOOD CHOICE project aims to develop a harmonised ecolabelling system for Europe and to present a validated and recognised framework to the European Commission in 2028, supporting more sustainable consumer choices.

The ECO FOOD CHOICE project is led by ADEME and brings together nine partners from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. It develops and tests harmonised life cycle methods, environmental scores and clear consumer labels. The project focuses on three main work streams:

• Developing a harmonised methodology to assess environmental impact (using Life Cycle Asssessment) of all food products in Europe.  
• Creating a standardised method to aggregate LCA-based results into a single environmental score that reflects multiple environmental impacts.
• Designing and testing a consumer label in real-life settings, including supermarkets, canteens and online platforms across Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain, to assess its impact on consumer purchasing behaviour and farming practices.

A beta version of the harmonised LCA methodology for food ecolabelling was published for public consultation. Following this consultation phase, the final version is planned for release in November 2026.

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) leads the second work stream, which focuses on developing a single environmental score, and contributes substantially to the other work streams. In addition, WUR plays a key role in stakeholder engagement and in establishing collaborations with related public and private initiatives. 

The product-specific sustainability information developed within the ECO FOOD CHOICE project also supports wider applications in the food value chain. The results enable consumers to compare the environmental impact of products both within a category, such as tomatoes from Spain and the Netherlands, and across categories, such as meat and meat alternatives.

Beyond consumer use, the results are also valuable for retailers, food processors, financial institutions and governments seeking to assess the environmental impacts of products and supply chains. The ECO FOOD CHOICE project delivers the data needed to make True Cost Accounting operational, and provides a solid basis for Scope 3 greenhouse gas calculations under the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Science Based Targets Initiative.

• Publication: State of the art analysis of LCA-based ecolabelling schemes in Europe
• Longread: The rise of LCA-based ecolabels
• Expertise: Ecolabel food: game changer for more sustainable food

In this project, WUR collaborates with ADEME The French Agency for Ecological Transition, corsus-corporate sustainability, the University of Göttingen, Casa Ametller SL, BETA Technological Center, the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), INRAE and Mérieux Nutrisciences | Blonk. 

In addition to these core partners, the project engages a broad group of stakeholders, including organisations that have developed ecolabels, retailers, food processors, European and national government(s), scientists and NGOs.