Towards a more sustainable supply chain: Core-PCR for milk is born
Simone Bastianoni, Department of Environmental Sciences – University of Siena
Accurately measuring the environmental impact of milk production is now a strategic priority for the entire dairy industry. This need has led to the creation of the first Product Category Rule (PCR) specifically for cow’s, buffalo’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk, proposed by the University of Siena and the University of Pisa in collaboration with ICMQ. The new Core-PCR, which will be adopted for future publications of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) within the EPDItaly system, provides a unique methodological framework to ensure transparency, comparability, and reliability of environmental data. This is a fundamental step in supporting the competitiveness of Italian companies in the context of the ecological transition and the European Green Deal.
Today more than ever, sustainability is an essential issue. How is the academic world addressing the ecological transition and what are the points you are focusing on?
Sustainability is undoubtedly one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time. The academic world has a crucial role to play in guiding the ecological transition through research, education, and technology transfer. Science has already done a great deal to diagnose the problems and propose solutions. All that is missing is political action capable of transforming the range of proposed solutions into real ‘cures’ for issues that are increasingly urgent and visible to all.
Today, we are working to refine scientifically robust methods and operational tools that enable us to measure, evaluate, and improve the environmental performance of production systems. In particular, we are moving towards integrated approaches based on life cycle analysis (LCA), environmental accounting, and the definition of circularity indicators. The objective is twofold: on the one hand, to provide decision-making support to businesses and policy makers, and on the other, to train a new generation of professionals capable of managing the complexity of sustainability in a systemic way.
Together with ICMQ, you have embarked on an important journey to implement the first PCR dedicated to cow’s, buffalo’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk. How did it all start, and why did you make this decision?
I would like to point out that it all began thanks to Agritech, the National Center for the Development of New Technologies in Agriculture, one of five national centers dedicated to cutting-edge research funded through the MUR by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) as part of Mission 4 “Education and Research” – Component 2 “From Research to Business.”
The initiative therefore arose from a concrete need, shared by both the academic world and operators in the sector, to provide the Italian dairy industry with a technical-scientific tool capable of making the environmental information associated with milk production comparable and verifiable. We decided to embark on this path precisely to fill a regulatory and methodological gap: until now, Italy lacked a specific Product Category Rule (PCR) for milk that took into account the peculiarities of different animal species and local production contexts. The work was carried out by the Ecodynamics Group research team at the University of Siena (which I co-coordinated) and the Pisa Animal Science Team at the University of Pisa, coordinated by Prof. Marcello Mele, in order to combine fundamental knowledge of animal husbandry with the application of LCA methodology in the dairy supply chain. We also drew on the expertise of Tellus srl for relations with businesses and the experience in PCR development of INDACO2 srl.
Our ambition is to contribute to greater transparency and more conscious sustainability management throughout the supply chain, as well as to promote the unique characteristics of Italian products. The collaboration with ICMQ was a natural fit: it is an organization with extensive experience in certification systems.
What is the scientific and environmental importance of having a specific PCR for milk, and what impact could it have on the Italian agri-food supply chain?
The availability of a specific PCR represents a turning point. From a scientific point of view, it means having a rigorous and shared methodological framework that allows the environmental footprint of milk to be calculated in a consistent and comparable way. This is essential to ensure the quality and reliability of environmental declarations, such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). From an environmental and industrial point of view, a PCR helps to identify critical issues throughout the product life cycle, stimulating targeted improvements, technological innovation, and resource optimization. For the Italian agri-food supply chain, we are talking about a strategic tool: it allows companies to enhance their environmental performance, preventing greenwashing and thus strengthening competitiveness on national and international markets, with positive effects on the sustainability objectives of the European Green Deal.
The journey has only just begun. What are the next steps?
We have completed a crucial first phase, which involved defining and validating the PCR through a participatory process involving experts, supply chain operators, certification bodies, and institutional stakeholders. The next steps involve promoting and adopting the PCR by companies, accompanied by training, technical support, and field testing.
At the same time, we are already working to extend the work to other categories of derivative products, such as cheese, with a view to methodological consistency and environmental traceability. In addition, we will monitor the effectiveness of the PCR over time, updating it in line with scientific, technological, and regulatory developments. The ultimate goal is to build a virtuous ecosystem in which sustainability and competitiveness reinforce each other.