1. The social construction of environmental reality : an analysis of life cycle assessment in the food industryPedja Ašanin Gole, Karolina Babič, Vida Sruk, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: This article offers a critical sociological-philosophical-communicological review of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method in the context of the food industry. While LCA has been established as a standardized tool for quantifying environmental impacts, this study analyses it not merely as a technical method but as an epistemological construct that actively shapes societal understanding of sustainability. Drawing on the theory of social construction of reality, situated knowledge, and critical theory, the article explores how methodological choices within LCA (e.g., system boundary definition and indicator selection) are not neutral but reflect specific social and political priorities. The findings reveal that standardized LCA approaches oſten lead to epistemological reductionism by homogenizing complex ecological processes and neglecting local contexts and environmental justice issues. Furthermore, the article examines the instrumentalization of LCA in sustainability communication and green marketing, where quantitative data are frequently used to legitimize existing business models rather than to drive systemic change. The discussion emphasizes the need to transcend instrumental rationality and shiſt toward transdisciplinary and deliberative approaches. The article advocates for integrating Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) and broader Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) frameworks to address sustainability challenges in the food industry more holistically, incorporating social justice and cultural sensitivity.
Keywords: life cycle assessment (LCA), social construction of reality, situated knowledge, sustainability environmental communication, epistemology of ethics, sociology of responsibility
Published in RUP: 10.11.2025; Views: 399; Downloads: 9
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4. Wood modification technologies : a#reviewDick Sandberg, Andreja Kutnar, George Mantanis, 2017, review article Keywords: chemical treatments, thermo-hydro-mechanical, LCA, acetylation, furfurylation, resin impregnation, environmental impacts, densification
Published in RUP: 08.12.2017; Views: 5915; Downloads: 0 |
5. Life cycle assessment - opportunities for forest products sectorAndreja Kutnar, Callum A. S. Hill, 2017, original scientific article Keywords: environmental impact, environmental product declaration (EPD), forest products, life cycle assessment (LCA), O-LCA, product category rules (PCR), S-LCA, wood
Published in RUP: 15.11.2017; Views: 5724; Downloads: 127
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7. Next steps in developing thermally modified timber to meet requirements of European low carbon economyAndreja Kutnar, Dick Sandberg, 2015, original scientific article Keywords: EPD, LCA, nizkoogljična bio-kemija, trajnostni razvoj, EPD, LCD, low carbon bio-economy, PCR, sustainability
Published in RUP: 03.04.2017; Views: 4336; Downloads: 193
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8. The role of reverse logistics in recycling of wood productsMichael David Burnard, Črtomir Tavzes, Aleksandar Tošić, Andrej Brodnik, Andreja Kutnar, 2015, independent scientific component part or a chapter in a monograph Keywords: cascade use, LCA, logistics, recovered wood, reuse, upgrading
Published in RUP: 03.04.2017; Views: 4270; Downloads: 82
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