LUC Impact Dataset

Core Features

LUC Impact is derived from Blonk’s LUC Impact Tool, which uses FAO and IPCC data to estimate direct land-use-change emissions. The dataset contains the pre-calculated results from the tool’s “country known, previous land use unknown” method. This statistical approach considers changes in agricultural and natural land over a 20-year period and the expansion of individual crops. Its main characteristics include:

• 9,000+ Crop-Country Combinations: Provides ready-made LUC emission results for crops grown across different countries, allowing geographically differentiated calculations rather than using one generic LUC factor.

• Multiple Calculation Results: Includes weighted-average, normal-average and worst-case results. The weighted method accounts for the relative contribution of different land conversions to crop expansion.

• Two Amortization Methods: Results are provided using both equal amortization, as prescribed by PAS 2050-1 and European Commission PEF guidance, and linear amortization, as required by SBTi FLAG calculation guidance.

• Land-Conversion Modelling: Calculations account for expansion at the expense of land categories including forests, natural grassland and other agricultural land, using carbon-stock changes to determine associated emissions.

• Crop System Efficiency Index: The 2024 dataset introduced the CSEI, accounting for situations where multiple crops are harvested from the same land during a year and allocating LUC impacts accordingly.

• Managed Grassland: The 2024 methodology distinguishes managed and natural grassland when evaluating changes in agricultural land use, improving the representation of crop expansion in countries where these distinctions are significant.

Closing Insights

Land-use change can be difficult to incorporate into agricultural footprints because companies often know what crop they purchase and where it was grown, but not what occupied the land before cultivation. LUC Impact addresses this data gap with statistically derived country-and-crop estimates. That makes it useful for food manufacturers, agricultural supply chains, LCA consultants and other users calculating FLAG emissions where farm-level historical land-use information is unavailable.

Geographic differentiation is important. Expansion of the same crop can produce very different LUC estimates depending on whether agricultural growth in a particular country has coincided with losses of forest, grassland or other agricultural land. Blonk notes that forest conversion generally causes considerably larger carbon-stock losses than grassland conversion. Changes in FAO statistics can therefore materially affect individual crop-country factors.

The dataset should be distinguished from the LUC Impact Tool. The dataset provides pre-calculated results for situations where the country is known but previous land use is unknown; the web-based tool supports additional cases, including calculations where previous land use is known.

The 2024 dataset costs €580 excluding VAT for a 365-day licence. That licence does not permit integration into commercial software, services or platforms; organizations wanting to embed the factors into their own products must obtain a separate licence from Blonk.