Hannele Heusala (Prev. Pulkkinen) Email & Phone Number

I apply Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to study environmental impacts of agriculture and food production systems. My primary areas of focus encompass the assessment of carbon footprints, tracking international methodological developments in environmental assessment, and contributing to the harmonization of LCA methods to back up green claims. I collaborate closely with the agricultural sector, food industry, restaurants, and retail, as well as the Nordic scientific LCA community.My research has spanned various aspects, such as studying the environmental impacts of different food products, such as plant proteins (oat, wheat, rice), potatoes and Finnish dairy and beef, carbon footprints of meals and diets, understanding consumers' perceptions of the environmental impacts of food, addressing consumers' communication needs, and facilitating the communication of sustainable production methods to farmers.Currently, I'm coordinating the harmonization and development of environmental footprint assessment methods and related communication within the Finnish agri-food sector (https://www.luke.fi/en/projects/lcafoodprint).Looking forward, my goal is to drive the necessary transition in our food systems to ensure both consumption and production align with planetary boundaries, while also considering the broad spectrum of social impacts.

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  Research Scientist

  Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) / Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke)

  Jul 2009 - Present - Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland