Towards a non-speciesist social life cycle assessment

Summary

Purpose
Social life cycle assessment has become an important tool for systematically including the social component in the sustainability assessment of value chains. However, the exclusion of non-human animals from social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) is problematic and essentially speciesist. This paper addresses this problem by developing strategies towards a non-speciesist S-LCA.
Method
This is a conceptual contribution in which we discuss the rationale and identify the methodological options for considering the well-being and rights of both human and non-human animals in social life cycle analysis.
Results and discussion
When applying the methodological options in practice, researchers may face challenges stemming from the current socioeconomic structures and speciesist values dominating society. However, we argue that approaches attentive to including non-human animals in a social life cycle assessment should take the well-being of animals as seriously as that of humans. To advance the methodology of social life cycle assessment, the range of impacts on the well-being of all sentient beings as well as their severity and duration should be considered as far as possible based on the available data and scientific literature. This should include issues of longevity and allow for a comparison of animal production and crop production. Thereby, it should allow for different ethical perspectives, like utilitarian and rights-based approaches, rather than following one particular route.
Conclusion
S-LCA researchers who take up this challenge will inform the transformation of the agri-food sector towards greater sustainability, help to align the practice of S-LCA with recent developments in philosophy and science, and better prepare us for addressing future changes to the social demands placed on animal agriculture.