Adaptation of water eutrophication indicators for EU environmental footprinting of NZ products

To address impacts on freshwater eutrophication, it is paramount that both N and P are accounted for. The current recommendation from the EC for Product Environmental Footprinting has limited relevance to NZ and is very likely to change to follow the UNEP/ guidelines (to be released officially in March 2019).

A new indicator for freshwater eutrophication was developed which aligns with UNEP/SETAC guidelines:
► to account for the contribution of N (was missing),
► in a spatially-explicit way (accounting for catchment characteristics),
► with a global coverage (essential since our supply chains are global).

Evaluation of Taupo Beef on the European market with average European beef showed lower freshwater and marine eutrophication impacts for NZ beef.