geoFootprint is a multi-stakeholder initiative launched by Quantis in 2018 with aim to merge GIS technology (i.e. satellite imagery) and the life cycle assessment (LCA) framework, into a public web-based platform. It will provide transparent and granular information on the environmental footprint of crop production including farm and upstream activities, displayed though a broad choice of maps and environmental metrics. More information: www.geofootprint.com

Implemented in
- Africa
- Asia / Pacific
- Europe and Central Asia
- Latin America / Caribbean
- Middle East
- North America
Led by
Sectors of activity
Agricultural and Fishery, Environmental Services, Food & Beverage
Type of initiative
Capacity Building & Implementation, Policy Frameworks & Tools, Research, Analysis, Assessment
Type of lead actor
Scientific and Technical
Budget
2000000 US$
Start date
01/06/2018
End date
15/10/2020
Submitted on:
29/06/2019Objectives
geoFootprint will deliver an 2-Tier online tool. Tier 1 will be public-facing and free. It will provide visual and quantified insight into the environmental footprint of crop production worldwide, displaying multiple layers of land characteristics (cultivated area, soil properties, forest cover loss, yield, productivity) and metrics (carbon footprint, water footprint, eutrophication potential, biodiversity loss, etc.) per hectare and per ton of cultivated crop. It will be fully transparent with regards to its input data sources, assumptions and modelling principles, and will give unprecedented insight into underling drivers for each footprint metric. Typically, end users will be able to visualise how much of a given footprint is related to deforestation, fertiliser use, irrigation or field practices. The user-friendly interface and surrounding narrative aims to democratise public access to footprinting information, raising awareness on key drivers and how these vary geographically. Tier 2 will be decision-maker oriented and licensed, with advanced simulation capacities to help identify and prioritise where action should be taken and farm-level stakeholders involved.
Activities
As collected through the One Planet Reporting
Output level
Outreach and communication for SCP
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geoFootprint webinar
geoFootprint webinar
Regions
Online activity
Lead organization
Quantis (lead) Cool Farm Alliance (co-lead)
Objective
On September 10, 2019, the geoFootprint public webinar was held. It was the first truly public unveil of the geoFootprint project and platform, show-casing the methodology, use cases and a demo of the first prototype. The webinar was also used as a call for involvement and catalyst to expand the future user base
Achievements
Over 7000 organisations from the Quantis network were invited, with focus on private and public stakeholders the food, apparel and cosmetics sectors, i.e. those in which Quantis is most active business-wise. The webinar gave the floor to Quantis' geoFootprint project manager Xavier Bengoa and CFA's geoFootprint lead Simon Miller, but also to a sustainability analyst from General Mills and the Director for Climate smart Agriculture & Sustainable Landscapes at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). With 361 registrants and 176 attendees, the webinar was a success (a 50% participation rate is typically what Quantis experiments from such events). The webinar triggered numerous questions and positive feedback. Giving different perspectives, from different speakers, was well received and seen as a sign of openness and transparency. Dozens of people have accessed the webinar recording since then. The webinar registrants included sustainability professionals and C-level executives across different geographic regions, from a range of sectors and types of organisations, including companies like Bayer, Kering, Nestlé, Unilever, Tetra Pak, Heineken or Mars, and other stakeholders like WWF, BCI, The Nature Conservancy, IUCN and FAO.
Impact and Results
geoFootprint has attracted interest from multiple public stakeholders such as FAO, UNEP, SAI Platform, WBCSD, IUCN, World Resources Institute, the French Agency for the Environment and the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture. It is being directly supported by major private corporations from food and agricultural sector such as Nestlé, Unilever, Mars, General Mills, Cargill, Olam, Yara and Syngenta. geoFootprint will be launched in the third quarter of 2020.
Next steps and how to get involved
There are numerous ways to get involved, in testing the platform through pilot case studies or contributing to future developments!