Archive · Previous methodology
This page preserves our first-generation methodology in full: the Climate Impact Model (CIM) and the Health Impact Model (HIM). Both have since been succeeded by the Health Alignment Score (HAS) and the Daily Food Unit (DFU) — read about the current science.
FOOD2050 simplifies complex data to help consumers and businesses align with the globally recognised Planetary Health Diet.
Climate Impact Model
The CIM determines the climate impact of a company, a business unit or an individual dish in a single degree-Celsius value. Based on life-cycle assessments of foodstuffs, we calculate the CO₂e emissions of recipes or the consumer behaviour of specific target groups and translate these into global warming potential linked to the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Paris Climate Agreement is an international treaty to limit global warming to well below 2°C, aiming for 1.5°C, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Step 1
Based on the energy value of a dish — or the consumption behaviour of a business unit or an entire company — we calculate the emission intensity per kcal, taking into account the life-cycle assessments of all the ingredients used.
Step 2
Based on parameters such as population growth, food waste, calorie requirements per capita, agricultural efficiency and emission reduction paths, the emission curve for the selected unit is calculated up to 2100.
Step 3
The cumulative emissions value up to the end of the century is converted by the CIM into global warming potential in degrees Celsius.
Step 4
By calculating the degree Celsius value, the company concerned can realign its reduction path with its own climate strategy and, ideally, align it with the Paris Climate Agreement of a maximum of +1.5°C.
FOOD2050 empowers consumers and businesses alike to make the right decisions to align the food system with a 1.5°C world.
Health Impact Model
Based on the nutrient composition of a dish, the Health Impact Model (HIM) evaluates meal balance against the «Optimal Plate» of the Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE). Provided the three components — fruits & vegetables, carbohydrates and proteins — sit in the optimal ratio, a meal is declared “balanced”; otherwise it counts as only partially fulfilled.
Step 1
At least half of the plate should be covered by fruits and vegetables, providing fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Step 2
Roughly a quarter of the plate comes from carbohydrate-rich staples such as grains, potatoes or pulses.
Step 3
The remaining quarter is drawn from protein sources — animal or plant-based — to complete the balance.
CIM and HIM have been succeeded by the Health Alignment Score (HAS) and the Daily Food Unit (DFU) — sharper models, developed with our current research partners.