Research Article // Operationalising the Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystem Nexus in Life Cycle Assessment Ecolabelling: Exploring Indicator Selection Through Delphi Engagement
By Bigolin et al. This study shows that integrating the WEFE Nexus into life cycle assessment-based ecolabelling enhances the ability to capture multidimensional environmental impacts while improving the relevance and transparency of sustainability information for both producers and consumers.
Abstract
A Ecolabelling has emerged as a key instrument to communicate environmental performance to consumers, particularly in the agri-food sector where resource use and ecological pressures are highly interlinked. Conventional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based ecolabels often suffer from methodological discretion, lack of territorial specificity, and limited consumer trust.
This study investigates how the WEFE Nexus could be integrated into LCA-based ecolabelling, with a specific focus on pasta production as a representative case in the food industry. Indicators were collected from recent literature on LCA and Nexus applications, selected for simplicity and clear attribution to one WEFE dimension, and then evaluated by experts from COST Action CA20138 (NexusNet) through a two round Delphi protocol. The process yielded 23 indicators distributed across the four dimensions, which were subsequently compared with six Environmental Product Declarations to assess data availability and compatibility.
The results suggest that many indicators can be computed with standard LCA inventories, while the Nexus perspective adds value by capturing multidimensional impacts and regional resource pressures. Further refinement and empirical testing are expected to enhance the framework’s applicability, but the findings already indicate that incorporating WEFE-based indicators into pasta ecolabelling could represent a promising pathway to improve analytical depth and consumer relevance, aligning circular economy principles with corporate assessment practices.
Published
30 January 2026