B-4 Greenhouse Emissions from Tofu Production

Abstract

Background: Tofu is perceived as healthy and ecofriendly protein-rich food, but little is known about the carbon footprint generated by this soy product. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) generated by the production of tofu. Methods: We performed a life cycle assessment (LCA) to calculate the greenhouse gases emissions (GHG) generated by tofu using SimaPro 7. Our LCA calculations include materials and energy inputs required to produce tofu: whole soybeans, water, electricity, natural gas, transportation and packaging materials. The functional unit: 1 kg of tofu. The boundary is from cradle to factory gate. Results: The total GHG emissions per one kilogram of tofu produced are 893 g of CO2eq. Monte Carlo simulations shows that the CO2eq estimation is robust. The GHG emissions are mainly generated by whole soybeans (50%), natural gas (27%), packaging (13%), transportation (6%) and electricity (4%). Conclusion: Tofu is a protein rich food that generates relatively low GHG emissions when compared to protein-rich animal foods. Tofu generates 22 to 34 times less greenhouse gas emissions than beef products. Thus, tofu is a suitable food to consume by people who intend to reduce their carbon footprint by dietary choices