Tools

Agro-Chain Greenhouse Gas Emissions (ACE) calculator

Employee at the supermarket Super U in Cotonou, Benin. Photo: M. Cooperman (IFPRI)
The Agro-Chain Greenhouse Gas Emissions (ACE) calculator is a tool for estimating total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with a food product or food loss and waste (FLW).

The Agro-Chain Greenhouse Gas Emissions (ACE) calculator – formerly the ACGE calculator – is a tool for estimating total greenhouse gas emissions associated with a food product. It addresses the most common stages of "linear" agro-food chains (chains for fresh and simple processed products: canned, frozen, packaged and other minimally processed forms). It combines a calculation framework with datasets containing crops, greenhouse gas emission factors and food loss factors along the chain. It is a powerful tool that can be used to estimate total emissions associated with food loss and waste (FLW).

Combined with user-definition parameters for the product-chain considered, it generates an estimate for greenhouse gas emissions associated with a product when bought by a consumer. The default data that the calculator derives from the dataset may be overruled by the user if more specific data are available; this would make the calculations more case-specific.

The calculator was updated in April 2021. Improvements to the tool include:

  1. The user interface now directly supports the comparison of two scenarios. Differences between the scenarios are highlighted, and the main results are shared on top of the sheet.
  2. A summary has been added of the climate impacts per chain stage, including FLW-associated impacts for both scenarios, at the bottom of the calculator sheet.
  3. Addition of another method for overriding default data by user-values.

Download the FLW calculator:

Download the FLW calculator guidelines: 

View a presentation about the FLW calculator:


Activities
  • Assessing Trade-offs Between Food Loss and GHG Emissions Webinar: Major Update to Agro-Chain Greenhouse Gas Emission Calculator

  • Online Impactsessie 8: "Voedselverspilling, klimaat en broeikasgasuitstoot" (Podcast: Food Loss and Waste, Climate and Greenhouse Gas Emission)