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Ag Data Commons migration begins October 18, 2023

The Ag Data Commons is migrating to a new platform – an institutional portal on Figshare. Starting October 18 the current system will be available for search and download only. Submissions will resume after the launch of our portal on Figshare in November. Stay tuned for details!

Life Cycle Assessment

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) collection is a catalog and archive of data, tools, and resources that support LCA for agriculture and related areas of research. It is complementary to the USDA LCA Commons Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) database, and provides access to a wider range LCA data and tools.

Life Cycle Assessment (also known as life cycle analysis, or cradle-to-grave analysis) is a method of assessing environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life. For example, it measures impact from raw material extraction to materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling. The goal of LCA is to compare the full range of environmental effects assignable to products and services by quantifying all inputs and outputs of material flows, and then assessing how these material flows impact the environment. This information is used to improve processes, support policy, and provide a sound basis for informed decisions.

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Datasets

23 datasets

Product System Model for Beef Production 2011

    Product system boundaries (cow-calf-finisher, CCF) include all material and energy flows associated with crop production and live cattle operations. Cattle inventory flows include the cow-calf operation and end with market weight finisher cattle and culls resulting from one full year of operation. The total live weight produced in one year is 2914841.44 kg and is comprised of the following animals: Finished cattle: 3724 (581 kg/finisher), Culled cows: 1156 (636 kg/cow), Culled bulls: 58 (908 kg/cow). These data were developed using Integrated Farm System Model and are intended to represent the MARC cattle operation in Nebraska in 2011. The data were a product of a project funded by the National Cattleman's Beef Association.

    Unit Process for Torrefied Wood Chips, 2016

      This unit process dataset represents the production of 0.0436 oven-dried kg (1 MJ) of torrefied chips at torrefier (Biogreen, ETIA Group, Compiègne, France, and Norris Thermal Technologies, Tippecanoe, Indiana, USA) at Samoa, California. Additional details on the process can be found in Alanya-Rosenbaum et al (2018).

      Unit Process for Wood Chip Briquette Production, 2016

        This unit process dataset represents the production of 1 dry ton of wood chip briquette from wood chips using RUF200 model briquette (RUF Briquetting Systems, Zaisertshofen,Germany) in Big Lagoon, California. Additional details on the process can be found in Alanya-Rosenbaum et al (2018). Briquettes are produced using RUF200 model briquetter (RUF Briquetting Systems, Zaisertshofen,Germany), which uses dried woodchips generated from forest residues as feedstock. Capacity of 200 kg/hr.