The application of Social Life Cycle Assessment to dairy cattle farms equipped with PLF technology

Over time, the increasing interest in animal-based product has led consumers to require that the production processes are performed in an ethical way and that food quality is assured. In this context, PLF may be a useful tool as a technology that can help farmers in monitoring the herds and improving animal welfare and health, as well as increase the productivity and enhance the welfare of farmers and workers. However, no methodology is currently available for the evaluation of the social performance of livestock activities implementing PLF. This paper proposes a preliminary methodological framework for the assessment of the social impact of PLF in dairy cattle farms through the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) methodology (type I), to evaluate with a life cycle perspective the impacts generated on the well-being of stakeholders by the activities of the studied system.