What is a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)?

A Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) measures the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions created throughout a product’s lifecycle—from production to disposal. Whether it’s an apple, a bottle of wine, or walnuts, PCF analysis shows the environmental impact at every stage.

PCF analysis covers emissions from everything you use to produce your product, like fertilizer, fuel, water, electricity, and packaging. This process helps you show your commitment to sustainability and gives consumers verified information on your environmental efforts.

Why Calculate a PCF?

Lower-carbon products appeal to eco-conscious consumers, helping you stand out in the market. Calculating a PCF also helps you meet new carbon reporting and labeling regulations, identify cost-saving efficiencies, and make your farm more sustainable by highlighting emission “hotspots” in your system.

The Step-by-Step Process of a Product Carbon Footprint Project

1. Project Scoping (1 week)

Product Selection: We’ll help you choose products that would benefit most from a PCF analysis, like a best-seller or high-yield item.

Boundary Setting: Decide whether to measure emissions up to the point of distribution (Cradle-to-Gate) or include the entire lifecycle, including consumer use and disposal (Cradle-to-Grave).

Study Year: Choose a recent year that shows an average yield (not your best or worst year).

Unit of Product: Define your product unit—whether it’s a bottle of wine, a pound of walnuts, or a box of apples.

Timeline: A full PCF project typically takes up to 6 months, from start to final report.

2. Data Collection (1-3 months)

Data collection is crucial, as it involves gathering detailed information on your farming and production processes. You’ll upload data to the BX Platform in stages:

1. Raw Materials and Production
2. Processing and Manufacturing
3. Distribution and Retail

BX guides you through each step, outlining what data you need and checking in regularly. This may include uploading PDFs, files, and other documents. Required data may include:

1. Crop Inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and water use
2. Operations data, including fuel and electricity for farm equipment
3. Processing details, like energy, additives, packaging, and waste
4. Post-Harvest data, such as refrigerants and energy for storage
5. Transportation and Distribution information on transport modes and distances
6. End-of-Life details (for Cradle-to-Grave) on consumer use, disposal, and recycling

3. Data Analysis and Modeling (1-2 months)

BX’s environmental science team analyzes your data to calculate emissions across your operations and highlights the areas with the biggest impacts. If data is missing, we’ll use reasonable substitutes where needed.

4. The Report

The report summarizes your product’s carbon footprint, showing the biggest emission contributors and areas for potential reductions. A detailed scientific report is also available for external review, and we’ll include a QR code for easy access to share with customers.

Credits Development & Ownership

BX’s PCF assessments align with ISO standards (14040/44 and ISO 14067:2018) to ensure your footprint data is credible and robust. For more details, visit the Knowledge Hub.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does ‘lifecycle’ mean in a PCF project?

A product’s lifecycle includes all stages from creation to end-of-life: raw material sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, consumer use, and disposal. Each stage produces emissions, so a lifecycle view provides a complete picture of your product’s impact.

How can reducing my PCF benefit me?

Lowering your product’s carbon footprint can bring multiple benefits:

1. Cost Savings, as optimizing resources cuts production costs
2. Stronger Market Appeal, since consumers want eco-friendly products, and sustainability builds loyalty
3. Attracting Investment, as ESG is key to customers and investors, making sustainability a smart move
4. Environmental Impact, as reducing emissions helps fight climate change and supports a healthier planet

How long does a PCF project take?

A PCF project usually takes up to 6 months, depending on product complexity, data availability, and project scope. After the first time, future PCF calculations go faster.

How many products can I footprint?

Start with one or two products that have the most readily available data. This lets you refine your process and ensure accuracy before scaling up. Without detailed data, analyzing multiple similar products may not be useful.

How much does it cost?

The PCF assessment is included with BX PRO. However, if you need an independent third-party review, additional costs may apply.

Can I do a PCF for my entire farm?

A full-farm footprint works well if your farm produces a single crop; you can scale this down to a product footprint. For multi-crop farms, a broader, farm-wide footprint may be more relevant. BX is exploring options to provide this in the future.

Got more questions? Search the Knowledge Hub, or reach out to our team using farmers@bx.tech.