This study summarizes advancements in life cycle assessment (LCA) that enhance our understanding of environmental sustainability in milk production and processing. A systematic review of 84 papers published between 2018 and 2024 was conducted to highlight the topics and the main methodological elements that can aid in prioritizing interventions from an environmental standpoint. The findings indicate that the most discussed topics include farming management strategies, mitigation approaches, and livestock management. Limited attention was given to the circular economy, energy efficiency, milk production and consumption, and feed management. In the goal and scope phase, only 36 studies followed a standard LCA methodology, while 53 took a comparative approach and 32 a descriptive one. In the inventory analysis phase, 23% relied solely on modeled data, 72% on experimental data, and 56 studies used IPCC guidelines for emission factors. For impact assessment, the main categories addressed were global warming potential, eutrophication potential, and acidification potential, with ReCiPe being the most commonly used method. Importantly, more than half of the studies did not conduct uncertainty or sensitivity analyses; only 27% performed sensitivity analyses and 12% performed uncertainty analyses. The review offers insights for advocates of LCA and suggests future research directions.

In this paper, we reviewed 42 studies on applied Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) in dairy products published since 2015. Such a systematic review of the literature contributes to addressing the gap regarding the usefulness of the LCA methodology and the need for additional research due to limited studies, data, variables, and the magnitude of environmental impact. We analyzed various environmental impacts generated in the environment, compared methods and results, and highlighted emerging issues affecting society, the economy, and the environment, warranting further investigation. Additionally, we statistically analyzed the effects that the choice of functional unit and allocation rule could have on the results. LCA is a key tool for assessing the environmental sustainability of the agri-food sector. This review aims to summarize case study research on LCA in dairy processing, disseminating potential environmental impacts and providing specific examples of research in dairy processing demonstrating how the representative end product is associated with environmental impacts on air, water, and land.