Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (NUTR-0331)

Spring 2026 · NUTR 0331 · Tufts University · 3 credits · Undergraduate

Which is a more environmentally sustainable protein choice: chicken, tofu, or salmon? What processes in a food company’s supply chain should be targeted to reduce energy use and costs? How would shifting to nationally recommended diets impact the environment? These are a few examples of the myriad questions that can be addressed with life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA is a tool in the field of industrial ecology that quantifies the resource use and emissions of a product or system along its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to final disposal. A central objective of this method is informing evidence-based decision-making toward sustainability by policy makers, NGOs, companies, and individuals. This course covers the intellectual foundations of LCA and provides hands-on experience applying the tool, with a focus on topics, data sources, and methodological issues relevant to food and agriculture. This is an intensive, project-based modeling course where you will learn new concepts, vocabulary, quantitative skills, and software. Prior experience managing and analyzing quantitative data in Microsoft Excel (or equivalent) is highly recommended. Please speak with the instructor if you are uncertain about your preparedness for the course.

Course codes: NUTR-0331, NUTR 0331, NUTR0331, NUTR-331, NUTR 331, NUTR331

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