Analysis of the transport of imported food in Spain and its contribution to global warming

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pérez Neira ◽  
Xavier Simón Fernández ◽  
Damián Copena Rodríguez ◽  
Marta Soler Montiel ◽  
Manuel Delgado Cabeza
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Environmental Pressure ◽  
Food Miles ◽  
Agric Food ◽  
Imported Food ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Food Imports

AbstractThrough the process of globalization, food has experienced an intense territorial restructuring process. Local agric-food links have weakened at the same time as daily products arrived from distant lands. There is presently a wide international debate on the importance of transport in the configuration of the agric-food system and its contribution in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG). The direct environmental costs of the transport of imported food, that is the ‘external food miles’, have been estimated in kilometer (km), ton (t), ton-kilometer (t-km) and GHG in Spain between 1995 and 2011. The analysis is made by ten food groups including 136 products, with special attention to the most important ones (cereals and animal feed), as well as by means of transport (air, rail, road and water) and from 113 different countries belonging to six geographical areas. Two phases are identified during this period: an expansive phase (1995–2007), in which the t-km of imported food increased from 81.8 to 147.8 million t-km and environmental pressure rose from 3.1 to 5.4 million CO2-eq t, and a recession phase (2007–2011), in which environmental pressure subsided as a consequence of the reduction of imports, even though it still remained above the 1995 level. The article reveals a clear interrelation between amounts, distances and modal distribution when it comes to determining the environmental cost of transporting food imports in the two periods studied. It also reflects on the role of the external food miles in the Spanish agri-food system from a sustainability perspective.

Analyzing the international trade-related food miles in Iran

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
Hassan Mohammadian Mosammam ◽  
Mozaffar Sarrafi ◽  
Jamileh Tavakoli Nia ◽  
Ali Mohammadian Mosammam
Keyword(s):  
International Trade ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Environmental Costs ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Total Import ◽  
Food Miles ◽  
Related Energy ◽  
Transport Modes ◽  
Food Imports

The aim of this article was to present a “snapshot” of Iran’s total import-related food miles and associated direct environmental costs in 1999 and 2013. Based on a customized model, the import-related “food miles” was calculated for 14 food groups. The methods used provide new insights to be obtained about how far agricultural products travel from their point of production to the main cities in Iran. We also calculated travel-related energy use and CO2 emissions based on different transport modes. Distance and agricultural products data were obtained from national and international sources. Produce arriving at the main cities in Iran were typically transported more than 15,456 km in 1999. In 2013, however, average food miles have fallen 47%, largely driven by indirect food imports. In terms of energy use, imported products accounted for 130,855 TJ of energy use in 1999; this was reduced by 10% in 2013. Moreover, these changes account for more than 10 and 9 Mt of food miles-related CO2 emissions in 1999 and 2013, respectively. There is an opportunity to re-legislate and revise policies regarding both imported and domestically grown food.

scholarly journals FOOD POLICY COUNCIL AS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOR FOOD ISSUES

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Masashi Tachikawa
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Structural Aspect ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
American Experience ◽  
The North ◽  
Food Miles ◽  
Food Policy Council

The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the nature of food issue in our society and propose a forum to discuss multi-facet issues of food based on the North American experience, such as food policy council (FPC). Contemporary food system in Japan is full of problems, such as low level self-sufficiency, food loss, problem of food access, large food miles, declining food culture under globalization, and so on. After reviewing these food related issues, the paper refers to the US and Canadian experiences on food policy council as a model to provide a forum for various stakeholders with different or even conflicting interests. Based on observations on the FPCs, such as Knoxville (US) and Toronto (Canada), author emphasized public aspect of food issues and draw attentions to differences in structural aspects of food between North America and Japan. The paper also tries to draw attention to differences between North America and Japan in terms of food issues. In particular, the demographic and geographical differences would exist of a major structural aspect when considering food issue in Japan. 

Nutritional Assessment of Primary School Children in Papua New Guinea: Implications for Community Health

1987 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-179
Author(s):  
Olive M. Moase ◽  
Modi Pontio ◽  
Collins O. Airhihenbuwa
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Nutritional Assessment ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Daily Food ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Protective Food ◽  
Imported Food

The nutritional status of primary school children ( N = 1453) was assessed using weight-for-height (W/H) and twenty-four hour food recall records. Using WHO standards, 21 percent of the students were within the standard W/H. Of the remainder, 71 percent were within 5 kg. of standard W/H, and 8 percent deviated more than 5 kg. from the standard W/H (5% underweight and 3% overweight). The dietary data collected from Grades 5 and 6 ( N = 425) revealed a daily food intake of 1.6, 2.8, and 7.7 servings of protein, protective, and energy foods, respectively, as recorded in local servings. Sixty-five percent of the subjects consumed foods from all three food groups. Twenty-four percent consumed no protein, 14 percent consumed no protective food, and 2 percent consumed neither protein nor protective food. The variety of foods available varied from school to school-3-11 protein foods, 7–15 energy foods, and 8–18 protective foods. To improve nutritional status, government leadership in the areas of education, health, and primary industry will be required. All divisions adhere to the National Food and Nutrition Policy which promotes local rather than imported food.

Retooling American Foodralism

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-506
Author(s):  
Laurie J. Beyranevand ◽  
Diana Winters
Keyword(s):  
Drug Administration ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Food Additives ◽  
Federal Agencies ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
National Regulation ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Local Levels

Food policy action on the state and local levels is necessary and important for at least two reasons. First, the complexity and breadth of our nation's food system requires layered policy and regulation: the system's functioning needs both national uniformity and local distinctions. Second, there are crucial gaps in national regulation that provide rich opportunities for state and local action. These gaps, in areas such as the regulation of antibiotics in animal feed and the oversight of food additives, are not priorities of the federal agencies that oversee food. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made nutrition policy a priority for 2018, the current administration's explicitly anti-regulatory agenda makes it unlikely that it will address these previously under prioritized areas.

scholarly journals Voluntary or Forced: Different Effects of Personal and Social Norms on Urban Residents’ Environmental Protection Behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3525
Author(s):  
Guanglin Bai ◽  
Yun Bai
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Environmental Pressure ◽  
Personal Norms ◽  
Influence Mechanism ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

It is well known that environmental protection behaviors are influenced by both individual internal motivation and external environmental pressure, but few studies have looked at the two kinds of factors together. In order to study the influence mechanism of these two kinds of factors on the environmental protection behavior of urban residents, especially the difference between these two kinds of factors, we take personal norms and social norms as independent variables into the theoretical model. Results based on survey data of 731 urban residents revealed that personal norms and social norms both are positively associated with environmental protection behavior. Moreover, environmental protection willingness was found to mediate the relationship of personal and social norms with environmental protection behavior. We also found that the direct and indirect influences of personal norms on environmental protection behavior are greater than that of social norms. Further, the study revealed that cost consciousness moderates the relationship between personal norms, environmental protection willingness, and environmental protection behavior. Our results suggest that personal norms have a greater impact on environmental protection behavior than social norms. Therefore, we need to make greater efforts to promote environmental education and cultivate young people’s sense of environmental responsibility from an early age. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain appropriate environmental pressure and reduce the environmental cost in the daily life of residents.

scholarly journals Valorization of Mushroom By-Products as a Source of Value-Added Compounds and Potential Applications

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 2672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipa Antunes ◽  
Sara Marçal ◽  
Oludemi Taofiq ◽  
Alcina M. M. B. Morais ◽  
Ana Cristina Freitas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Food System ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Pharmaceutical Formulations ◽  
Extraction Methods ◽  
Industrial Wastes ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Future Research ◽  
By Products

Nowadays, the food sector is highly concerned with environmental issues and foreseen to develop strategies to reduce waste and losses resulting from activities developed in the food system. An approach is to increment added value to the agro-industrial wastes, which might provide economic growth and environmental protection, contributing to a circular economy. Mushroom by-products represent a disposal problem, but they are also promising sources of important compounds, which may be used due to their functional and nutritional properties. Research has been developed in different fields to obtain value added solutions for the by-products generated during mushroom production and processing. Bioactive compounds have been obtained and applied in the development of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical formulations. Additionally, other applications have been explored and include animal feed, fertilizer, bioremediation, energy production, bio-based materials, cosmetics and cosmeceuticals. The main purpose of this review is to highlight the relevant composition of mushroom by-products and discuss their potential as a source of functional compounds and other applications. Future research needs to explore pilot and industrial scale extraction methods to understand the technological feasibility and the economic sustainability of the bioactive compounds extraction and valorization towards different applications.

scholarly journals Leveraging the Food System in the Eastern Mediterranean Region for Better Health and Nutrition: A Case Study from Oman

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7250
Author(s):  
Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh ◽  
Salima Almamary ◽  
Lamia Mahmoud ◽  
Lara Nasreddine
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Food System ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Context Specific

The adoption of a food system approach is vital for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) in achieving the 2030 Agenda. The objective of this paper is to present a case-study from Oman, where a roadmap of context-specific entry points within the food system was proposed, with the overarching aim of fostering healthier diets in the population. A four-staged process was adopted: (1) selection of potential target food groups; (2) assessment of self-sufficiency and sustainability considerations related to the target foods; (3) characterization of challenges, opportunities and potential interventions related to the target food groups and (4) identification of specific entry points within the three elements of the food system (food supply chain; food environment; and consumer behavior). Data collection was based on a review of pertinent literature as well as a participatory approach involving policy makers and stakeholders. Findings showed that fruit, vegetables, fish and foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt are priority targets for intervention. Specific entry points within the food system were identified and a realistic roadmap of activities was outlined. Findings and recommendations presented in this paper may facilitate policy convergence efforts in Oman and serve as a case-study for other EMR countries.

scholarly journals Does adoption of agroforestry increase farm production and dietary diversity in the hills of Nepal?

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-177
Author(s):  
Kanchan Kattel ◽  
Rejina Maskey Byanju ◽  
Kishor Atreya
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Food Diary ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Farm Production ◽  
Production Diversity ◽  
Household Dietary Diversity

There are few studies on the influence of agroforestry intervention in the farming and food system. We thus conducted this study to assess farm production diversity and household dietary diversity in the coffee-based agroforestry in Deusa village, Solukhumbu district, Nepal. This study collected data through questionnaire survey, food diary checklist for 24 hours diet recall, transect walk, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. We compared farm production diversity and household dietary diversity scores between two agroforestry types - traditional and coffee-based. We used Pearson’s Chi-Square and Fisher’s Exact tests to assess the association between agroforestry type and 16 food groups wise consumption. Results showed that the farm production diversity is positively associated with the household dietary diversity. Among 16 food groups, households under coffee-based agroforestry system were more likely to consume dark green leafy vegetables (Chi square- 5.385; df=1; p<0.05), and descriptive statistics showed relatively higher consumption for most of the other food groups. It indicates that agroforestry intervention can be beneficial to improve farm production diversity and household dietary diversity in the longer run. Thus, agroforestry promotion is not only important in enhancing biodiversity and farm income but also equally vital in improving food and nutrition security for smallholders.

scholarly journals Capitalistic Transition in Food System and Food consumption in Mae Cham District, Chiang Mai, Thailand

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-44
Author(s):  
Poon Theingburanathum ◽  
Pongtip Thiengburanathum
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Monosodium Glutamate ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Chiang Mai ◽  
Road Trip ◽  
The Road ◽  
The People ◽  
Dirt Road ◽  
Negative Impacts

Mae Cham district is located only 156 kilometers from the center for Chiang Mai, but the road trip would take at least 3 hours on the meandering mountains road.  The first dirt road that provides access between Mae Cham in Chiang Mai was completed in 1963.   The result of the road network and access to the global market has both positive and negative impacts on the people pf Mae Cham.  The access to Mae Cham has transformed the food production system in Mae Cham from being self sufficient to becoming a part of the national and international food chain.  The crops on the field have changed from rice to cash crops like animal feed corn and from local vegetables to commercial crops like cabbages, to feed into the national and international food chains.  The consumption of local food has been transformed as well.  The local dishes remain the same, while the added ingredient such as monosodium glutamate, fish sauce, seasoning powders that have increase the chance of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

scholarly journals Can a Shift to Regional and Organic Diets Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Food System? A Case Study from Qatar

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Luis Vicente Vicente ◽  
Annette Piorr
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Food System ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Livestock Species ◽  
Dairy Consumption ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Small Influence ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Food Imports

Abstract BackgroundQatar is one of the countries with the highest carbon (C) footprints per capita in the world with an increasing population and food demand. Furthermore, the international blockade by some countries that is affecting Qatar – which has been traditionally a highly-dependent country on food imports – since 2017 has led the authorities to take the decision of increasing food self-sufficiency. In this study we have assessed the effect on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of shifting diets from conventional to organic products and from import-based diets to more regionalized diets for the first time in a Gulf country.ResultsWe found that considering the production system, the majority of the emissions come from the animal products, but the differences between conventional and organic diets are very small (738 and 722 Kg CO2-eq capita-1 yr-1, of total emissions, respectively). Conversely, total emissions from plant-based products consumption are one order of magnitude smaller, but the differences in the emissions between the two systems were higher, leading to a decrease in 88 Kg CO2-eq capita-1 yr-1 when changing from conventional to organic consumption. Regarding the change to 100% regionalized diets, we found that packaging has a small influence on the total amount of GHG emissions, whereas emissions from transportation would be reduced in 780Kg CO2 capita-1 yr-1 for the business as usual scenario of 2015.ConclusionsDue to the extreme adverse pedoclimatic conditions of the country, commercial organic regional livestock would not be possible without emitting very high GHG emissions and just only some traditional livestock species could be farmed in a climate-friendly way. On the other hand, organic and regional low-CO2 emission systems of plant-based products would be possible by implementing innovations in irrigation or other innovations whose GHG emissions must be further studied in the future. Therefore, we conclude that shifting towards more plant-based organic regional products consumption by using climate-friendly irrigation innovations in combination with a decrease in the total meat and dairy consumption and a shift to traditional livestock species farming is a suitable solution to both increasing self-sufficiency and reducing C footprint.

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