Maté leaves at the declared primary-processing gate

1. Scope and Applicability

This PCR covers cultivated Ilex paraguariensis from a managed perennial stand through leaf and fine-twig harvest, fresh-lot receipt, sapeco (brief heat treatment), drying, coarse breaking or canchado when performed, grading, and dispatch of dry maté at a declared primary-processing gate. Its reference is dry, unblended maté leaf material, with leaf and twig composition, moisture, treatment route, and gate disclosed. The fresh harvested lot is an intermediate state, not the dry reference flow. This scope reflects the CPC maté-leaves identity and its correspondence to HS 0903 Maté.

Industrial blending, long aging, fine milling, flavored products, extracts, beverages, retail packaging, and consumer brewing are excluded. A producer may report those downstream steps as a separate extension with distinct outputs. Forest-collected maté remains in the product category, but this managed-stand route does not model wild collection; that route requires separate foreground modelling and review. Camellia sinensis tea is excluded. FAO describes plantation and forest supply, while IARC and the yerba maté value-chain study distinguish harvest, sapeco, drying, and subsequent stages.

2. Product Category Identity

Field	Value
canonical_pcr_id	pcr.agriculture-forestry-and-fishery-products.products-of-agriculture-horticulture-and-market-gardening.mate-leaves
classification_refs	CPC 3.0: 01630 Maté leaves; corresponding HS 0903 Maté; mapping relation: narrower
covered_products	primary-processed, dry, unblended Ilex paraguariensis leaves, with the declared fine-twig fraction
excluded_products	Camellia sinensis tea; other herbal leaves; maté extracts, beverages, flavored or blended maté, retail preparations
representative_product	dry, coarse primary-processed yerba maté leaves before aging, fine milling, blending, or packaging
production_route	managed stand, periodic harvest, fresh receipt, sapeco, drying, optional coarse breaking, grade sorting and primary-processing gate
market_state	dry unblended leaf material at a declared primary-processing gate, with moisture, grade, leaf/twig fraction and route identified

3. Reference Flow

Functional unit

Field	Value
What	dry primary-processed Ilex paraguariensis maté leaves at the declared gate
How much	1 kg net as-received dry product
How well	species, leaf/twig composition, moisture, grade, sapeco and drying route declared; no blends or retail package
How long or cycle	one processing lot linked to its harvest year; perennial establishment and replacement linked to represented productive years
reference_flow_link	mate_accepted_dry

Reference flow object

Field	Value
Reference amount	1
Reference product flow	dry maté leaves; exact UUID unresolved
Reference flow property	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66
Reference unit group	Units of mass 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66
Reference unit	kg
Required qualifiers	Ilex paraguariensis; site and crop year; harvest and dryer lot; sapeco fuel and heat route; drying method; dry moisture; leaf/twig fraction; grade; declared pre-blending processing gate

The exact platform reference UUID remains unresolved. A generic tea, fresh leaf, or branded beverage UUID must not be substituted. Resolve a compatible product-flow identity before active or published use.

4. Measurement and Unit Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Required property	Required unit	Rule
measurement_01	fresh, treated, dried, graded and rejected maté states	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	kg	Record net as-received mass and moisture at every state hand-off; keep tare and packaging separate.
measurement_02	drying and material balance	mass and wet-basis water fraction	kg; percent	Compare dry matter from paired lot weights and moisture samples; calculate evaporated water, not an assumed universal fresh-to-dry ratio.
measurement_03	perennial stand	area and period	ha; year; ha·year	Index establishment, replacement, pruning, harvest and land occupation to stand, phase and production year.
measurement_04	fertilizer and crop protection	product and nutrient or active mass	kg product; kg substance	Keep formulated product mass distinct from nutrient or active substance content.
measurement_05	fuels, electricity, irrigation and transport	source-unit amount	L; kg; MJ; kWh; m3; t·km	Preserve meter or invoice unit and use only documented density, heating value or unit conversion.

5. System Boundary

The foreground starts with managed Ilex paraguariensis stands and attributable establishment or replacement. It includes management inputs, field emissions, independent harvest, field-to-dryer movement, fresh receipt and first sorting, sapeco, drying, optional coarse breaking, post-dry grading, temporary storage and dispatch. Nursery plants, fertilizers, crop-protection products, energy carriers, water supply, external transport and treatment services require linked upstream datasets when supplied from outside. The boundary ends before aging, fine milling, blending, flavoring, retail packaging and distribution.

Biological production creates harvestable foliage; cutting is an independent harvest event with a measured fresh-lot hand-off. First conditioning removes foreign matter and damaged material from the collected state before sapeco. Sapeco is a bounded heat-treatment node converting raw prepared leaves to heat-treated leaves. Drying is a distinct stabilization node converting treated leaves to a dry storable state with water loss and heat inputs. Final grading assigns accepted, downgraded, and rejected states, each with a destination. Shared vehicles, boilers, dryers or buildings used by more than one lot, site or period need one documented attribution.

Boundary Abstraction

Field	Value
declared_starting_condition	identified managed stand or all contributing stands at a declared phase and reporting-year start
starting_condition_role	perennial biological source of harvestable maté foliage
product_classification_scope	CPC 3.0: 01630 Maté leaves; dry primary-processed Ilex paraguariensis reference state
recursive_input_rule	purchased same-category dry or fresh maté entering a receiving lot remains a separately identified upstream input; its cultivation and processing burdens are not expanded again inside the receiving lot
upstream_dataset_requirement	verified datasets for nursery plants, nutrients, crop protection, fuels, electricity, water, off-site transport and treatment when outside the foreground
disclosure	every site, stand phase, harvest year and lot; fresh and dry mass and moisture; leaf/twig fraction; sapeco and drying route; fuel and electricity; grade destinations; shared-service attribution; gate and exclusions

Boundary Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
boundary_01	managed stand and harvest	Include represented stand management, actual inputs, direct field emissions and independently measured harvest; attribute establishment and replacement to represented production years.	fao-yerba-mate-forest-products; chifarelli-2024-yerba-mate-lca
boundary_02	sapeco and drying	Include heat-treatment and drying fuel, electricity, material transfer, water loss, emissions and rejects up to the dry gate; keep each material state and operation distinct.	iarc-mate-processing; chifarelli-2024-yerba-mate-lca
boundary_03	downstream gate	Declare any coarse breaking inside the gate; exclude aging, fine milling, blending and packaging unless separately reported with a new gate and output.	iarc-mate-processing
boundary_04	multi-site and shared assets	List all supplying stands, dryers and other contributing sites, reconcile transfers and assign shared services once by an evidenced driver and service period.	iso-14044-2006

6. Process Inventory Structure

Process Map

process_id	process_name	inclusion	inclusion_condition	role	quantitative_reference
mate_stand_management	Managed maté stand	required	managed cultivated lot or identified upstream stand dataset	perennial production	site-year and 1 kg dry output
mate_harvest	Leaf and fine-twig harvest	required	every lot	independent capture and collected-state hand-off	kg fresh collected foliage
mate_first_conditioning	Fresh receipt and first sorting	required	every lot	raw-to-prepared hand-off	kg fresh received and prepared
mate_sapeco	Sapeco heat treatment	required	every primary-processed route	material treatment	kg prepared and heat-treated leaves
mate_drying	Drying and stabilization	required	every dry reference lot	preservation and stabilization	kg treated input and dry output
mate_grade_gate	Coarse breaking, grade sorting and dispatch	required	every accepted dry lot; coarse breaking only where performed	accepted, downgraded and rejected hand-offs	1 kg dry accepted output

Process: Managed maté stand (mate_stand_management)

Inputs

Product flows

Required management inventory: record actual planting stock, each nutrient product, each crop-protection formulation, water and each carrier separately by stand, phase and period. The following conditional cards do not presume use; add every other actual material with its specific identity before completing the package.

Yerba mate nursery plants (mate_management_inputs)

Record Yerba mate nursery plants only when this material crosses the declared process boundary. Retain lot, physical state, composition where relevant, and actual destination. Record other materials independently rather than treating this card as a selector or material bundle. Attribute establishment and replacement only across the serviced production periods; established stands without such an event do not receive an invented input. Raw activity or stage basis: per site-year and 1 kg accepted dry maté.

• Selected flow: Yerba mate nursery plants
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured net quantity of Yerba mate nursery plants, reconciled to the linked lot and process balance, then normalized once to the declared reference output; retain moisture and any density conversion evidence.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_site_year

Fertilizer, urea (mate_management_inputs_urea)

Record Fertilizer, urea only when this material crosses the declared process boundary. Retain lot, physical state, composition where relevant, and actual destination. Record other materials independently rather than treating this card as a selector or material bundle. Raw activity or stage basis: per site-year and 1 kg accepted dry maté.

• Selected flow: Fertilizer, urea
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg product
• Amount rule: Measured net quantity of Fertilizer, urea, reconciled to the linked lot and process balance, then normalized once to the declared reference output; retain moisture and any density conversion evidence.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_site_year

Fertilizer, monoammonium phosphate (mate_management_inputs_map)

Record Fertilizer, monoammonium phosphate only when this material crosses the declared process boundary. Retain lot, physical state, composition where relevant, and actual destination. Record other materials independently rather than treating this card as a selector or material bundle. Raw activity or stage basis: per site-year and 1 kg accepted dry maté.

• Selected flow: Fertilizer, monoammonium phosphate
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg product
• Amount rule: Measured net quantity of Fertilizer, monoammonium phosphate, reconciled to the linked lot and process balance, then normalized once to the declared reference output; retain moisture and any density conversion evidence.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_site_year

Fertilizer, potassium chloride (mate_management_inputs_kcl)

Record Fertilizer, potassium chloride only when this material crosses the declared process boundary. Retain lot, physical state, composition where relevant, and actual destination. Record other materials independently rather than treating this card as a selector or material bundle. Raw activity or stage basis: per site-year and 1 kg accepted dry maté.

• Selected flow: Fertilizer, potassium chloride
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg product
• Amount rule: Measured net quantity of Fertilizer, potassium chloride, reconciled to the linked lot and process balance, then normalized once to the declared reference output; retain moisture and any density conversion evidence.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_site_year

Cattle manure, as applied (mate_management_inputs_manure)

Record Cattle manure, as applied only when this material crosses the declared process boundary. Retain lot, physical state, composition where relevant, and actual destination. Record other materials independently rather than treating this card as a selector or material bundle. Raw activity or stage basis: per site-year and 1 kg accepted dry maté.

• Selected flow: Cattle manure, as applied
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg product
• Amount rule: Measured net quantity of Cattle manure, as applied, reconciled to the linked lot and process balance, then normalized once to the declared reference output; retain moisture and any density conversion evidence.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_site_year

Irrigation water (mate_management_inputs_irrigation)

Record Irrigation water only when this material crosses the declared process boundary. Retain lot, physical state, composition where relevant, and actual destination. Record other materials independently rather than treating this card as a selector or material bundle. Raw activity or stage basis: per site-year and 1 kg accepted dry maté.

• Selected flow: Irrigation water
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: Measured net quantity of Irrigation water, reconciled to the linked lot and process balance, then normalized once to the declared reference output; retain moisture and any density conversion evidence.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_site_year

Electricity, medium voltage (mate_management_inputs_electricity)

Include this exchange only when Electricity, medium voltage is actually supplied to this process. Record every other actual carrier separately. For purchased operating services, retain the supplier boundary and do not also count fuel or electricity already included in that service. Raw activity or stage basis: per site-year and 1 kg accepted dry maté.

• Selected flow: Electricity, medium voltage
• Flow property / unit: Energy / kWh
• Amount rule: Measured Electricity, medium voltage supplied to this process and period, normalized once to the declared reference output; convert carrier-native units only with documented density, calorific value or meter conventions where needed.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_site_year

Diesel fuel (mate_management_inputs_diesel)

Include this exchange only when Diesel fuel is actually supplied to this process. Record every other actual carrier separately. For purchased operating services, retain the supplier boundary and do not also count fuel or electricity already included in that service. Raw activity or stage basis: per site-year and 1 kg accepted dry maté.

• Selected flow: Diesel fuel
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured Diesel fuel supplied to this process and period, normalized once to the declared reference output; convert carrier-native units only with documented density, calorific value or meter conventions where needed.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_site_year

Waste flows

No waste input is presumed; a recovered organic amendment needs its own identity and actual entry record.

Elementary flows

Record direct water withdrawal by source and compartment separately from purchased water.

Outputs

Product flows

Harvestable maté foliage (mate_harvestable_foliage)

Hand the harvestable stand state to the independent cutting node; unharvested growth is not a marketed co-product.

• Selected flow: standing Ilex paraguariensis foliage; internal state, UUID unresolved

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: removed foliage estimated from harvest event and field residue records

• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per harvest lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Crop cycle (crop_cycle)

• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_harvest_lot

Waste flows

Record prunings left on site or removed, with destination and no presumed co-product credit.

Elementary flows

Calculate named field emissions by substance and receiving medium only with documented activity data and an applicable method.

Process: Leaf and fine-twig harvest (mate_harvest)

Inputs

Product flows

Harvest-ready fresh yerba mate foliage (mate_harvest_service)

Record Harvest-ready fresh yerba mate foliage only when this material crosses the declared process boundary. Retain lot, physical state, composition where relevant, and actual destination. Record other materials independently rather than treating this card as a selector or material bundle. Raw activity or stage basis: per harvest lot.

• Selected flow: Harvest-ready fresh yerba mate foliage
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured net quantity of Harvest-ready fresh yerba mate foliage, reconciled to the linked lot and process balance, then normalized once to the declared reference output; retain moisture and any density conversion evidence.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: crop_cycle
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_harvest_lot

Electricity, medium voltage (mate_harvest_service_electricity)

Include this exchange only when Electricity, medium voltage is actually supplied to this process. Record every other actual carrier separately. For purchased operating services, retain the supplier boundary and do not also count fuel or electricity already included in that service. Raw activity or stage basis: per harvest lot.

• Selected flow: Electricity, medium voltage
• Flow property / unit: Energy / kWh
• Amount rule: Measured Electricity, medium voltage supplied to this process and period, normalized once to the declared reference output; convert carrier-native units only with documented density, calorific value or meter conventions where needed.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: crop_cycle
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_harvest_lot

Diesel fuel (mate_harvest_service_diesel)

Include this exchange only when Diesel fuel is actually supplied to this process. Record every other actual carrier separately. For purchased operating services, retain the supplier boundary and do not also count fuel or electricity already included in that service. Raw activity or stage basis: per harvest lot.

• Selected flow: Diesel fuel
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured Diesel fuel supplied to this process and period, normalized once to the declared reference output; convert carrier-native units only with documented density, calorific value or meter conventions where needed.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: crop_cycle
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_harvest_lot

Waste flows

No waste input is presumed.

Elementary flows

Record direct equipment emissions where fuel is burned inside the foreground.

Outputs

Product flows

Collected fresh foliage (mate_collected_foliage)

Weigh the fresh collected lot and disclose leaf, fine-twig and coarse-wood fractions; hand it once to first conditioning.

• Selected flow: fresh collected maté foliage; UUID unresolved

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: net collected scale weight and composition sample

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per harvest lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Crop cycle (crop_cycle)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_harvest_lot

Waste flows

Record field left cuttings and incidental material separately from the intended collected lot.

Elementary flows

No universal emission amount is assumed.

Process: Fresh receipt and first sorting (mate_first_conditioning)

Inputs

Product flows

Received fresh foliage (mate_fresh_receipt)

Match each harvest lot to one receipt, record tare, on-site movement and any handling energy.

• Selected flow: received fresh maté foliage; UUID unresolved

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: net receipt weight by linked harvest lot

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per receipt lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Process input (reference_flow)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Waste flows

No waste input is presumed.

Elementary flows

Record water withdrawal only when the actual first-conditioning operation uses water.

Outputs

Product flows

Prepared fresh foliage (mate_prepared_foliage)

Remove foreign matter and visibly damaged material; hand accepted fresh foliage to sapeco.

• Selected flow: prepared fresh maté foliage; UUID unresolved

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: measured prepared mass and composition

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per receipt lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Waste flows

Record coarse wood, damaged leaves and foreign matter as separate rejects with destination.

Elementary flows

Record dust or wastewater only if generated, naming substance and receiving medium.

Process: Sapeco heat treatment (mate_sapeco)

Inputs

Product flows

Fresh maté leaves (mate_sapeco_inputs)

Conditional one-material exchange: include Fresh maté leaves only when the actual route and records establish its use or release. Other products, fuels, waste materials, or emitted species require separate atomic rows with independent quantity, state and identity. No use is inferred from this example.

• Selected flow: Fresh maté leaves

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: Measure or calculate only Fresh maté leaves for this process and period using route-specific records; do not combine other species or carriers.

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per sapeco lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Process input (reference_flow)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Electricity, medium voltage (mate_sapeco_inputs_electricity)

Conditional one-material exchange: include Electricity, medium voltage only when the actual route and records establish its use or release. Other products, fuels, waste materials, or emitted species require separate atomic rows with independent quantity, state and identity. No use is inferred from this example.

• Selected flow: Electricity, medium voltage

• Flow property / unit: Energy / kWh

• Amount rule: Measure or calculate only Electricity, medium voltage for this process and period using route-specific records; do not combine other species or carriers.

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per sapeco lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Process input (reference_flow)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Diesel fuel (mate_sapeco_inputs_diesel)

Conditional one-material exchange: include Diesel fuel only when the actual route and records establish its use or release. Other products, fuels, waste materials, or emitted species require separate atomic rows with independent quantity, state and identity. No use is inferred from this example.

• Selected flow: Diesel fuel

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: Measure or calculate only Diesel fuel for this process and period using route-specific records; do not combine other species or carriers.

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per sapeco lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Process input (reference_flow)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Waste flows

No waste input is presumed.

Elementary flows

Record directly withdrawn combustion air or water only where the inventory method requires it.

Outputs

Product flows

Heat-treated maté foliage (mate_sapeco_output)

Hand the heat-treated, still-moist material to drying with lot mass and moisture; it is not the dry reference output.

• Selected flow: sapeco-treated maté foliage; UUID unresolved

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: weighed treated output and moisture sample

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per sapeco lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Waste flows

Record burnt or off-spec leaves separately and route to rework, downgrade, recovery or waste exit.

Elementary flows

Record named direct combustion emissions to air and any ash or wastewater with an evidenced method and destination.

Process: Drying and stabilization (mate_drying)

Inputs

Product flows

Sapeco-treated yerba mate foliage (mate_drying_inputs)

Record Sapeco-treated yerba mate foliage only when this material crosses the declared process boundary. Retain lot, physical state, composition where relevant, and actual destination. Record other materials independently rather than treating this card as a selector or material bundle. Raw activity or stage basis: per dryer lot.

• Selected flow: Sapeco-treated yerba mate foliage
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured net quantity of Sapeco-treated yerba mate foliage, reconciled to the linked lot and process balance, then normalized once to the declared reference output; retain moisture and any density conversion evidence.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Electricity, medium voltage (mate_drying_inputs_electricity)

Include this exchange only when Electricity, medium voltage is actually supplied to this process. Record every other actual carrier separately. For purchased operating services, retain the supplier boundary and do not also count fuel or electricity already included in that service. Raw activity or stage basis: per dryer lot.

• Selected flow: Electricity, medium voltage
• Flow property / unit: Energy / kWh
• Amount rule: Measured Electricity, medium voltage supplied to this process and period, normalized once to the declared reference output; convert carrier-native units only with documented density, calorific value or meter conventions where needed.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Diesel fuel (mate_drying_inputs_diesel)

Include this exchange only when Diesel fuel is actually supplied to this process. Record every other actual carrier separately. For purchased operating services, retain the supplier boundary and do not also count fuel or electricity already included in that service. Raw activity or stage basis: per dryer lot.

• Selected flow: Diesel fuel
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured Diesel fuel supplied to this process and period, normalized once to the declared reference output; convert carrier-native units only with documented density, calorific value or meter conventions where needed.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Purchased steam (mate_drying_inputs_steam)

Include this exchange only when Purchased steam is actually supplied to this process. Record every other actual carrier separately. For purchased operating services, retain the supplier boundary and do not also count fuel or electricity already included in that service. Raw activity or stage basis: per dryer lot.

• Selected flow: Purchased steam
• Flow property / unit: Energy / MJ
• Amount rule: Measured Purchased steam supplied to this process and period, normalized once to the declared reference output; convert carrier-native units only with documented density, calorific value or meter conventions where needed.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Waste flows

No waste input is presumed.

Elementary flows

Record direct water withdrawal only for an actual dryer service.

Outputs

Product flows

Stabilized dry foliage (mate_dried_foliage)

Hand dry material with measured final moisture to coarse breaking or grading; track evaporated water separately in the mass balance.

• Selected flow: dry primary-processed maté foliage; UUID unresolved

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: net dry output weight and wet-basis moisture sample

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per dryer lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Waste flows

Record scorched, mouldy or otherwise rejected dried material and its destination.

Elementary flows

Record water vapour and named direct dryer emissions only where relevant to the selected inventory method.

Process: Coarse breaking, grade sorting and dispatch (mate_grade_gate)

Inputs

Product flows

Dried yerba mate foliage (mate_grading_inputs)

Record Dried yerba mate foliage only when this material crosses the declared process boundary. Retain lot, physical state, composition where relevant, and actual destination. Record other materials independently rather than treating this card as a selector or material bundle. Raw activity or stage basis: per graded lot.

• Selected flow: Dried yerba mate foliage
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured net quantity of Dried yerba mate foliage, reconciled to the linked lot and process balance, then normalized once to the declared reference output; retain moisture and any density conversion evidence.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Electricity, medium voltage (mate_grading_inputs_electricity)

Include this exchange only when Electricity, medium voltage is actually supplied to this process. Record every other actual carrier separately. For purchased operating services, retain the supplier boundary and do not also count fuel or electricity already included in that service. Raw activity or stage basis: per graded lot.

• Selected flow: Electricity, medium voltage
• Flow property / unit: Energy / kWh
• Amount rule: Measured Electricity, medium voltage supplied to this process and period, normalized once to the declared reference output; convert carrier-native units only with documented density, calorific value or meter conventions where needed.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Diesel fuel (mate_grading_inputs_diesel)

Include this exchange only when Diesel fuel is actually supplied to this process. Record every other actual carrier separately. For purchased operating services, retain the supplier boundary and do not also count fuel or electricity already included in that service. Raw activity or stage basis: per graded lot.

• Selected flow: Diesel fuel
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured Diesel fuel supplied to this process and period, normalized once to the declared reference output; convert carrier-native units only with documented density, calorific value or meter conventions where needed.
• Value mode: foreground_record
• Specificity: site_specific
• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow
• Basis kind: reference_flow
• Evidence kind: collected_record
• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Waste flows

Returned off-spec material is a traced rework input, not a second harvest.

Elementary flows

No elementary input is presumed.

Outputs

Product flows

Accepted dry maté leaves (mate_accepted_dry)

Dispatch accepted dry unblended leaves at the declared gate. A separately marketed fine-twig or lower-grade output needs its own mass and hand-off.

• Selected flow: dry maté leaves; exact UUID unresolved

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg Raw output measurement and reconciliation: net accepted gate weight and measured moisture

• Amount rule: 1 kg

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: 1 kg accepted dry maté leaves.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Downgraded or intended twig grade (mate_downgraded_grade)

Record a separate intended product only with a buyer, specification, mass and distinct hand-off; otherwise classify as residue or waste.

• Selected flow: documented lower-grade or fine-twig maté; UUID unresolved

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: net separately dispatched weight

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per graded lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Waste flows

Rejected and off-spec material (mate_grade_rejects)

Identify dust, woody residue, scorched or mouldy material; link each rework loop or boundary exit to this grading node.

• Selected flow: identified rejected maté material; UUID unresolved

• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg

• Amount rule: rejected mass by cause and rework, recovery or treatment destination

• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)

• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific) Raw activity or stage basis: per graded lot.

• Normalization basis: per declared reference flow

• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)

• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)

• Collection protocol: cp_mate_processing_lot

Elementary flows

Record dust emissions only when their substance and receiving medium are specified.

7. Allocation and Co-product Handling

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
allocation_01	intended outputs	Enumerate accepted dry leaves and every independently sold fine-twig or lower-grade output with a single hand-off; residues and rejects are not automatically co-products.	chifarelli-2024-yerba-mate-lca
allocation_02	multiple intended products	Prefer measured subdivision; if a process is inseparable, declare a programme-specific physical or other allocation method and rationale rather than assuming a universal split.	iso-14044-2006
allocation_03	perennial phases	Link establishment, immature, productive, replacement and termination events to represented years and their outputs; assign each event once with declared service years.	iso-14044-2006
allocation_04	shared sites and assets	Attribute vehicles, sapeco heat system, dryers, grader and storage once to consuming nodes, lots, sites and periods using logged time, throughput or other evidenced physical driver.	iso-14044-2006
allocation_05	rejects and rework	Keep burdens with the producing lot until documented sale, recovery, treatment or disposal; rework cannot create a second accepted output or duplicate energy input.	iso-14044-2006

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
allocation_residual_precedence	remaining common burden with no specified primary branch	Resolve any study-specific joint-product instruction in this PCR that has no specified primary branch using this precedence; retain an already explicitly prescribed category-specific primary method. First directly assign separable output-specific activities. For the remaining common burden B, use a physical driver d_i only when measured operation or biological-service records demonstrate the causal consumption represented by that driver. A product being weighable, valuable or lower grade alone is insufficient; do not switch arbitrarily between area, time, mass and revenue. For comparable grades receiving the same common handling, measured processed mass is applicable only with the same service demand, state and moisture basis demonstrated. Share a_i=d_i/sum(d_j); B_i=Ba_i. If no defensible causal physical driver exists for that common operation, use gate- and period-matched economic shares a_i=(q_ip_i)/sum(q_j*p_j), with the complete independently intended output set, compatible quantity/price units, currency, representative prices and values before output-specific downstream processing. Missing price or denominator evidence makes the allocated result incomplete, not a zero-priced product or a single-output system. Report shares summing to one and sensitivity to a material alternative; an alternative is not an interchangeable primary result. Waste, retained residues and internal transfers receive no co-product share, while their attributable production/handling burdens remain with the producing saleable route. Retain unallocated physical quantities and mass balances separately. This branch gives no automatic substitution credit; any separately scoped substitution analysis retains the gross inventory and its actual displaced-function evidence.	ghg-protocol-product-standard-2011

8. Foreground Data Collection, Calculation, and Quality Rules

Inventory completeness: conditional named cards are examples of individual exchanges, not an exhaustive recipe or a requirement to use those products. Before completing a foreground package, enumerate every actual planting stock, nutrient, crop-protection formulation, asset material, operating service, carrier, packaging material, waste stream and applicable elementary substance separately, using its physical identity, state, native property/unit, origin or receiving compartment, and measured or method-calculated quantity. Missing identity or quantity remains a completeness gap, never an assumed zero. Preserve the actual lot and phase basis; do not sum intermediate transfers as additional final output or duplicate burdens included in purchased services.

Retain raw site, lot, cycle and stage quantities and denominators in each collection protocol. Reconcile stocks, losses, moisture and co-product attribution first, then normalize: normalized exchange = attributable raw exchange × declared reference quantity / accepted hand-off product quantity on the same boundary and measurement basis. Apply perennial-establishment and shared-operation attribution before this normalization. Never set an internal-transfer quantity equal to the final reference quantity. Per declared reference flow means the amount, unit and product state in section 3; the data package must declare its actual route and gate.

Data Collection Protocols

protocol_id	process_id	flow_role	record_type	raw_fields	collection_method	unit	frequency	temporal_coverage	site_scope	aggregation_rule	quality_evidence
cp_mate_site_year	mate_stand_management	perennial inputs and emissions	field ledger and meters	stand, phase, year, area, planting, fertilizer, crop protection, irrigation, fuel, electricity, shared driver	dated field log, invoice and calibrated meter; Raw aggregation and attribution: sum within site-year then output-weight across sites	ha; year; kg; m3; L; kWh	each event or month	full represented year and attributable establishment	every supplying stand	per declared reference flow	map, invoice, calibration and activity log
cp_mate_harvest_lot	mate_harvest	removed, collected and residual biomass	harvest lot	stand, date, collected mass, leaf/twig fraction, field residue, cutting fuel, receipt link	field tally and net scale; Raw aggregation and attribution: link once to receipt lot	kg; L	each harvest	complete harvest season	every supplying block	per declared reference flow	scale ticket and traceable lot record
cp_mate_processing_lot	mate_first_conditioning; mate_sapeco; mate_drying; mate_grade_gate	each material state, energy, grade, reject and gate	processing and dispatch lot	incoming lot, tare, weights and moisture by stage, fuel by type, electricity, dryer time, grades, rework, reject and buyer	paired scale, moisture sample, meter and dispatch record; Raw aggregation and attribution: reconcile stage by stage, then mass-weight across sites	kg; percent; MJ; L; kWh; h	each lot and each rework event	complete processing period	every included facility	per declared reference flow	scale and moisture calibration, fuel invoice, meter log and destination receipt
cp_phase1_environment_coverage	mate_stand_management	managed environmental coverage by actual node	site/activity/method ledger	actual production nodes; soil/substrate route; climate/soil; nutrient product mass and composition; residue fate/N; relevant mineralisation/organic-soil/excreta activity; method/tier/equation/version; pathway factors and units; lime/urea; actual fuels; substance/compartment; supplier coverage	Collect original records by the actual responsible production node and matched lot/period; retain provenance, method applicability and uncertainty. Reconcile with existing protocols and provider coverage, do not add duplicate events. Explicitly document inapplicability; absent evidence is a gap.	native activity units; kg N or substance; area/time as applicable	event and annual/lot reconciliation	matched production/cohort period	all actual managed-production nodes	apply applicable coverage calculations then final normalization once	original records, method worksheets and applicability evidence

Calculation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Formula or rule	Inputs	Output	source_ids
calculation_01	dry matter	dry matter kg = as-received kg × (1 − wet-basis moisture fraction); compare paired stage balances and separate evaporated water	lot mass and moisture	stage dry-matter balance	iarc-mate-processing
calculation_02	accepted output	fresh input = accepted dry product + intended co-products + rejects + measured water loss + other measured losses + investigated residual, on consistent basis	stage scale, composition and moisture	reconciled processing lot	chifarelli-2024-yerba-mate-lca
calculation_03	multi-site normalization	sum attributed site and process burdens divided by sum accepted dry reference mass; keep every site's numerator and denominator	site-year, lot and dispatch records	amount per 1 kg dry maté	iso-14044-2006
calculation_04	period and shared service	event burden × documented period and service-driver share; shares across all recipients must sum to one	event, period, asset and recipient logs	attributable burden per lot	iso-14044-2006

Environmental Coverage Calculation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Formula or rule	Inputs	Output	source_ids
calc_managed_environment_coverage	actual managed-production nodes	For the actual owned managed-production node(s), require an applicability ledger for direct soil N2O, volatilisation/deposition-derived indirect N2O, leaching/runoff-derived indirect N2O, NH3/NOx and nutrient losses, plus actual liming/urea-use CO2. Primary calculation precedence is a representative pathway measurement, then a validated site/national method applicable to the crop, soil and management; otherwise use the compatible 2006 IPCC/2019-refined managed-soil equations and climate/input-specific factor selection for N2O and lime/urea CO2. Retain the exact edition, equation, tier, activity and factor units, climate and management applicability; no universal dose or emission factor is prescribed. Non-soil/protected routes need a method valid for their actual medium; do not force soil factors onto an inapplicable route. Use the same period/field N ledger for synthetic and organic additions, residues, actual relevant mineralisation/organic-soil and excreta pathways; demonstrate absent pathways rather than infer zero. Calculate direct and each indirect component separately, then assign each once to matching existing or new concrete cards; never add a total to its components. Convert N2O-N to molecular N2O by 44/28 once. NH3, NOx and nutrient/pesticide loss require an applicable measured or documented substance/fate model; total N/P or an unexplained balance residual is not a compound release. Keep actual receiving compartments and molecular versus elemental/reporting bases explicit; indirect formation does not remove the same N from the source ledger twice. Include actual local combustion releases separately using fuel-specific combustion-only methods; purchased electricity/heat/services retain upstream coverage once. Add one identity-specific exchange only for a supported release and reuse an existing matching card, with verified UUID or explicit unresolved identity. Missing applicable method/activity/factor/identity blocks completeness; it is not a justified zero. Attribute raw activity/release totals and normalize once to the matched accepted reference output.	cp_phase1_environment_coverage	attributed native environmental quantities per matched final reference	review-ipcc-soils-2019

Data Quality Requirements

requirement_id	Applies to	Requirement	Evidence
quality_01	reference identity	Verify an exact compatible dry maté product-flow UUID before active or published use.	confirmed Tiangong flow record and product specification
quality_02	site and period	List all contributing stands, dryers, phases and crop years, with geographic and temporal representativeness and excluded units.	site register, field map and inclusion decision
quality_03	mass and grades	Retain paired mass/moisture observations for fresh, treated, dried and dispatched states; trace intended grades, rejects and rework.	scale, moisture and destination records
quality_04	heat and shared assets	Name sapeco and dryer fuel, energy meter, shared consumers, service period and attribution driver.	meter, fuel and equipment logs

9. Validation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
validation_01	identity and gate	Accepted reference is dry unblended Ilex paraguariensis leaf material, with moisture, leaf/twig fraction, treatment route and primary-processing gate declared; exact UUID is required for active use.	fao-yerba-mate-forest-products; iarc-mate-processing
validation_02	phase and sites	Each site-year, planting or replacement event and processing site links to a represented phase, harvest lot and output period exactly once.	iso-14044-2006
validation_03	material balance	Reconcile fresh, prepared, heat-treated, dried, accepted, downgraded, rejected and lost mass using measured moisture; investigate unexplained residuals.	chifarelli-2024-yerba-mate-lca
validation_04	co-products and rework	A separately sold twig or lower grade needs mass, buyer and attribution decision; rejected material needs rework or exit and cannot count twice as accepted.	iso-14044-2006
validation_05	shared services	Enumerate consumers and service periods for shared vehicles, heat system, dryer, grader and storage; assigned shares sum to one.	iso-14044-2006
validation_06	boundary extension	Aging, fine milling, blending and retail packaging, if reported, have distinct output states and boundaries and do not reuse the primary-processing reference amount.	iarc-mate-processing

10. Published Dataset Profile

Field	Value
dataset_role	foreground data package for cultivated dry primary-processed maté leaves
downstream_use	secondary_dataset or background_dataset after review and identity resolution
allowed_use	declared dry unblended Ilex paraguariensis primary-processing gate and represented site, year, leaf/twig composition and route
excluded_use	fresh-only leaves, tea, blended or flavored maté, beverage, extract, aged or retail-packed products without a separately modelled extension
required_metadata	PCR id and version; exact product UUID; sites and phases; harvest and processing lots; moisture by state; heat and drying route; grade and co-product decision; gate
required_quality_disclosure	primary-data share, site coverage, meter and sample quality, mass residual, shared-asset method, emission method, upstream datasets and unresolved flows
update_trigger	changed product state, gate, species, site mix, heat or drying route, grading specification, co-product treatment or reviewed UUID

11. Data Sources

Source id	Type	Reference	Used for
unsd-cpc-01630	official_guidance	UNSD, CPC 3.0 class 0163 Maté leaves, https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ/Structure/Detail/EN/2100/0163 ; CPC 2.1 subclass 01630 correspondence to HS 090300, https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ/Detail/EN/1074/01630	classification and market-state scope
fao-yerba-mate-forest-products	official_guidance	FAO, Non-Wood Forest Products from Temperate Broad-Leaved Trees, Chapter 4, https://www.fao.org/4/Y4351E/y4351e08.htm	species, plantation and forest distinction, leaf harvest and processing
chifarelli-2024-yerba-mate-lca	literature	Chifarelli et al., Carbon Footprint of Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) Value Chain in Misiones Province (Argentina), Sustainability 2024, 16, 10127, https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/22/10127	stage decomposition, cultivation, harvest, processing and activity collection
iarc-mate-processing	official_guidance	IARC, Drinking Coffee, Mate, and Very Hot Beverages, mate processing section, https://publications.iarc.who.int/_publications/media/download/5606/1d2030b4b02d9c682ccf2a55d0bf7c871405fc2b.pdf	sapeco, drying and downstream state distinction
iso-14044-2006	standard	ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines	boundaries, subdivision, allocation and data quality
ghg-protocol-product-standard-2011	standard	WRI/WBCSD, Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard (2011), Chapter 9, https://ghgprotocol.org/sites/default/files/standards/Product-Life-Cycle-Accounting-Reporting-Standard_041613.pdf	General allocation hierarchy and comparable-gate economic basis. Applicability conditions and the explicit residual branch are this PCR's method convention; no product-specific causal coefficient, price or output quantity is prescribed by this source.
review-ipcc-soils-2019	official_guidance	IPCC 2019 Refinement, Volume 4, Chapter 11, https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2019rf/pdf/4_Volume4/19R_V4_Ch11_Soils_N2O_CO2.pdf	Managed-soil direct/indirect N2O and lime/urea CO2 method context; factors require actual applicability and site activity, not a product default.