In 2007, a climate-labeling project was initiated in Sweden to:
- Reduce negative climate effects in food production
- Give consumers an opportunity to make a conscious climate choice
- Encourage competition in food businesses
However, the Swedish Climate Certification System is not another carbon footprint scheme. Instead, the certification states that significant efforts (defined in the label criteria) have been made to reduce the carbon emissions along the food chain (from production to the store). The label does not publish precise figures for carbon emissions.
The project is a joint initiative by the Federation of Swedish Farmers, dairies, a cereal cooperative, and two existing labelling bodies. Initially, the standards cover fruit & vegetables, cereals & pulses, and fish & shellfish, all with a low degree of processing.
The criteria currently available are plant production, crop production, greenhouse production, milk production, beefproduction, pig production, egg production, chicken production, lamb production, fisheries and transport as well as food handling, processing and packacking. During the designing of the criteria an accredited certification body made inspections of farmers and companies participating in the scheme in order to ensure compliance.
May 2011