This paper examines the goals, strengths, and limitations of using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) within food and agricultural systems. It outlines how LCA provides a systematic, science‑based approach for quantifying environmental impacts across complex agricultural supply chains, enabling improved decision-making, transparency, and sustainability performance. The authors describe the methodological foundations of LCA—including goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory development, and impact assessment—while emphasizing challenges such as data quality, uncertainty, system boundary selection, and allocation procedures. Although LCA cannot address normative or ethical questions, it remains a powerful tool for identifying environmental hotspots, evaluating trade‑offs, and guiding policy and management strategies. The paper concludes by identifying research needs in areas such as big data integration, advanced greenhouse gas modeling, geospatial analysis, and improved uncertainty characterization to enhance the reliability and relevance of LCA in agriculture.