Agricultural label for egg production based on emergy accounting

This study aimed to present an innovative methodological proposal that integrates the ecological label tool with the Emergy accounting analysis methodology, with the purpose of developing an agricultural label for egg production grounded on Emergy accounting principles. The deliberate choice of this combination stems from the widespread recognition and extensive use of the ecological label tool for communicating sustainability information to society. However, it is important to note that some ecological labels have limitations, providing restricted information and presenting complexities that hinder their understanding. In this context, Emergy accounting was selected due to its capacity to convey a wide range of information in a direct and concise manner, condensing complex scenarios into easily understandable indexes. To achieve the proposed objective, several steps were undertaken. Initially, a comprehensive survey of scientific articles related to ecological labels was conducted, followed by exploration of existing ecological labels. Subsequently, a review of scientific literature was carried out to demonstrate the potential of Emergy accounting in comparing sustainability levels across different production systems. Then, the necessary steps of Emergy accounting were applied to evaluate four distinct egg production systems. These steps included defining, locating, and collecting data from the systems, creating Emergy diagrams, constructing Emergy tables, and evaluating the results. Additionally, this study established connections between the selected Emergy indexes and the ecological label Traffic Light Index. The culmination of this research was the methodological proposition of an agricultural label that integrates the Traffic Light Index eco-label. This label employs three distinct colors to signify differences in the sustainability of systems, utilizing Emergy accounting indexes both directly and indirectly to assess and compare them. The findings obtained offer valuable insights into how the fusion of Emergy accounting with the ecological label tool can serve as an effective management and communication tool. This methodological proposition holds significant potential for enhancing understanding and facilitating decisions related to sustainable practices and consumption.