localgreenchain/docs/concepts/carbon-footprint.md

Carbon Footprint Tracking

Understanding environmental impact measurement in LocalGreenChain.

Why Track Carbon?

Food production accounts for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. By tracking carbon at every step, LocalGreenChain enables:

1. Awareness - Know the impact of your food
2. Optimization - Choose lower-carbon options
3. Reduction - Make data-driven improvements
4. Comparison - See savings vs conventional

Carbon Sources in Agriculture

Traditional Supply Chain

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              CONVENTIONAL FOOD CARBON FOOTPRINT                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  Growing       Transport    Processing   Retail      Consumer   │
│  ████████      ████████████ ████         ████        ████       │
│   30%            50%         8%           7%          5%        │
│                                                                  │
│  Total: 2.5 kg CO2 per kg produce (average)                     │
│                                                                  │
│  Key Contributors:                                               │
│  - Fertilizer production and application                         │
│  - Long-distance trucking (refrigerated)                         │
│  - International shipping                                        │
│  - Cold storage facilities                                       │
│  - Last-mile delivery                                            │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

LocalGreenChain Model

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              LOCALGREENCHAIN CARBON FOOTPRINT                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  Growing       Transport    Processing   Direct                  │
│  ████          ██           █            (Consumer)              │
│   60%           25%          10%          5%                     │
│                                                                  │
│  Total: 0.3 kg CO2 per kg produce (average)                     │
│                                                                  │
│  Savings: 88% reduction vs conventional                          │
│                                                                  │
│  Why Lower:                                                      │
│  - Local production (short transport)                            │
│  - Organic/sustainable methods                                   │
│  - No cold storage needed (fresh delivery)                       │
│  - Efficient vertical farming                                    │
│  - Direct grower-consumer connection                             │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Transport Carbon Factors

By Transport Method

Method	kg CO2 / km / kg	Notes
Walking	0	Zero emissions
Bicycle	0	Zero emissions
Electric Vehicle	0.02	Grid-dependent
Hybrid Vehicle	0.08	Partial electric
Gasoline Vehicle	0.12	Standard car
Diesel Truck	0.15	Delivery truck
Electric Truck	0.03	Large EV
Refrigerated Truck	0.25	Cooling adds load
Rail	0.01	Very efficient
Ship	0.008	Bulk efficiency
Air Freight	0.50	Highest impact
Drone	0.01	Short distance only

Calculation Formula

function calculateTransportCarbon(
  method: TransportMethod,
  distanceKm: number,
  weightKg: number
): number {
  const factor = CARBON_FACTORS[method];
  return factor * distanceKm * weightKg;
}

// Example: 20 kg tomatoes, 25 km by electric vehicle
const carbon = 0.02 * 25 * 20; // = 10 kg CO2

Food Miles

Definition

Food miles = total distance food travels from origin to consumer.

Why It Matters

California Tomato to NYC:
├── Farm to packing: 20 miles
├── Packing to distribution: 50 miles
├── Distribution to cross-country truck: 10 miles
├── California to NYC: 2,800 miles
├── NYC distribution to store: 30 miles
├── Store to consumer: 5 miles
└── TOTAL: 2,915 miles

Local Brooklyn Tomato:
├── Farm to consumer: 12 miles
└── TOTAL: 12 miles

Savings: 99.6% reduction in food miles

Distance Calculation

LocalGreenChain uses the Haversine formula:

function calculateDistance(
  from: { lat: number; lon: number },
  to: { lat: number; lon: number }
): number {
  const R = 6371; // Earth's radius in km

  const dLat = toRadians(to.lat - from.lat);
  const dLon = toRadians(to.lon - from.lon);

  const a = Math.sin(dLat/2) * Math.sin(dLat/2) +
            Math.cos(toRadians(from.lat)) *
            Math.cos(toRadians(to.lat)) *
            Math.sin(dLon/2) * Math.sin(dLon/2);

  const c = 2 * Math.atan2(Math.sqrt(a), Math.sqrt(1-a));

  return R * c; // Distance in km
}

Cumulative Tracking

Per-Plant Journey

Every transport event adds to the total:

interface PlantJourney {
  plantId: string;
  events: TransportEvent[];

  totalFoodMiles: number;     // Sum of all distances
  totalCarbonKg: number;      // Sum of all emissions

  // Breakdown
  milesPerStage: {
    seedAcquisition: number;
    growing: number;
    harvest: number;
    distribution: number;
  };
}

Per-User Footprint

interface EnvironmentalImpact {
  totalCarbonKg: number;
  totalFoodMiles: number;

  // Efficiency metrics
  carbonPerKgProduce: number;
  milesPerKgProduce: number;

  // Breakdown by transport method
  breakdownByMethod: {
    [method: string]: {
      distance: number;
      carbon: number;
    }
  };

  // Comparison to conventional
  comparisonToConventional: {
    carbonSaved: number;
    milesSaved: number;
    percentageReduction: number;
  };
}

Conventional Comparison

Baseline Assumptions

Produce	Conventional (kg CO2/kg)	Local (kg CO2/kg)	Savings
Tomatoes	2.8	0.32	89%
Lettuce	1.5	0.15	90%
Peppers	2.2	0.28	87%
Basil	1.8	0.18	90%
Strawberries	2.0	0.25	88%

Calculation

function compareToConventional(
  totalCarbonKg: number,
  totalWeightKg: number
): Comparison {
  // Conventional average: 2.5 kg CO2 per kg produce
  // Conventional miles: 1,500 average

  const conventionalCarbon = totalWeightKg * 2.5;
  const conventionalMiles = totalWeightKg * 1500;

  return {
    carbonSaved: Math.max(0, conventionalCarbon - totalCarbonKg),
    milesSaved: Math.max(0, conventionalMiles - totalFoodMiles),
    percentageReduction: Math.round(
      (1 - totalCarbonKg / conventionalCarbon) * 100
    )
  };
}

Vertical Farming Impact

Energy-Based Carbon

Vertical farms trade transport carbon for energy carbon:

Outdoor Growing:        0.2 kg CO2/kg (minimal energy)
+ Transport (1,500 mi): 2.3 kg CO2/kg
= Total:                2.5 kg CO2/kg

Vertical Farm:          0.25 kg CO2/kg (lighting/HVAC)
+ Transport (10 mi):    0.02 kg CO2/kg
= Total:                0.27 kg CO2/kg

Net Savings: 89%

Factors Affecting VF Carbon

Factor	Impact	Optimization
Grid carbon intensity	High	Renewable energy
LED efficiency	Medium	Latest technology
HVAC efficiency	Medium	Heat pumps
Insulation	Low	Building design

Reporting

Environmental Impact Dashboard

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  This Month                       vs Conventional                │
│  ────────────                     ─────────────────              │
│  Total Produce: 45 kg             You Saved:                     │
│  Carbon: 8.5 kg CO2               □ 104 kg CO2                   │
│  Food Miles: 245 km               □ 67,255 food miles            │
│                                   □ 93% reduction                │
│                                                                  │
│  Breakdown by Transport Method                                   │
│  ─────────────────────────────                                   │
│  Electric Vehicle: ████████████████ 180 km (0.8 kg CO2)         │
│  Walking:          █████ 45 km (0 kg CO2)                        │
│  Bicycle:          ██ 20 km (0 kg CO2)                           │
│                                                                  │
│  Your Ranking: Top 15% of consumers                              │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Best Practices

For Growers

1. Local seed sources - Reduce acquisition miles
2. Clean transport - Electric, bicycle, walk
3. Batch deliveries - Combine shipments
4. Direct sales - Skip distribution chain
5. Renewable energy - Solar for operations

For Consumers

1. Buy local - Shorter supply chain
2. Accept imperfect - Reduces waste transport
3. Plan purchases - Fewer delivery trips
4. Pick up when possible - Zero delivery carbon
5. Choose in-season - No climate-controlled transport

For System Operators

1. Route optimization - Minimize total distance
2. Load optimization - Full trucks, no empty returns
3. Hub placement - Strategic distribution points
4. Electric fleet - Transition to zero-emission
5. Carbon tracking - Continuous monitoring

Future Improvements

• Scope 3 emissions - Full lifecycle analysis
• Carbon offsetting - Tree planting, etc.
• Carbon credits - Tradeable savings
• Real-time tracking - GPS + carbon calculation
• AI optimization - Minimize total footprint