Science Communication and Social LCA: Can the twain meet? Initial findings from an Oatly study

Paper in proceeding, 2020

This contribution aims to propose a possible integration of science communication debates, on deficit, dialogue and participation between different actors, experts and non-experts, in the study of social LCA. The purpose of such an integration stems from the understanding that through the product chain, there are a wide variety of actors that enable the material product to "flow" and that are working with scientific and sustainability-relevant information. This abstract first discusses the key arguments that evolved in science communication debates especially in the last decades leading up to the more recent deliberations on participation, and then proposes reasons why it could be worthwhile to combine these arguments in the growing literature on social LCA. It uses Oatly, the Swedish oat milk company, and the types of communication in its product chain, as the case study to argue the relevance of science communication scholarly frameworks in social LCA.