We develop several LCA databases on feed ingredients and regularly receive questions from companies, industry associations and other organisations about the differences between these databases. Here we tell you more about these databases and highlight the differences. The databases are:

• Agri-footprint 4.0

• EC Feed Database

• Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) database

• Feedprint NL 2.0

• Feedprint International

Agri-footprint 4.0: This is a life cycle inventory (LCI) database for the agriculture and food sector. Version 4.0, released in 2017, contains data on approximately 3000 products and processes. It contains many datasets on cultivation, transport, food processing and fertiliser production. The background databases used are the ELCD and USLCI databases. Agri-footprint can be used as a background database for studying agricultural and food products in general and as such its scope is broader than feed alone. Agri-footprint 5.0 is expected to be released in the summer of 2019.

EC Feed database: This database is generated from a selection of existing datasets that have been partially remodelled to fulfil the requirements of the European Commission for drafting a Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) compliant database. It contains 760 different feed materials used in the European market. The main difference from all the other databases is that this database is connected to PEF compliant background datasets (e.g. energy, transport).

GFLI-database: This database is provided by the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI). One of the institute’s projects is to make available an LCA feed database containing datasets for feed ingredients. The database covers all the deliverables of the EC Feed database plus new additions from USDA and Canadian crop data and updates on feed materials from fish products. The database covers 162 more products than the EC Feed database. The modelling is the same as Agri-footprint 4.0 and many of the GFLI datasets are also published in Agri-footprint 4.0.

Feedprint NL 2.0: Feedprint 2.0 is an update of the first Feedprint version, which was released in 2013. The scope of this interactive tool is feed ingredients that are available on the Dutch market, covering 274 different feed products in total. The information on each raw material includes market mix data, with cultivation data from 60 different countries. Nevedi, the Dutch feed industry association, shares the impact data generated from the Feedprint LCI data to companies in a separate list. This Nevedi list is updated in response to questions from feed companies on missing ingredients and is growing rapidly. At some point these data will be implemented as an updated list in Feedprint.

Feedprint International: This is the international version of Feedprint NL. It is very similar to Feedprint NL, but has the European Union market as scope. It contains 134 products, each containing their own mixes and multiple cultivation data. The number of products is lower than in Feedprint NL, since specific Dutch feed materials, roughage and grasses are excluded from the international database.