Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions

Feeding the world’s population sustainably is a major challenge of our society, and was stated as one of the key priorities for development cooperation by the European Union (EU) policy framework on food security. However, with the current trend of natural resource exploitation, food systems consume around 30% of final energy use, generating up to 30% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Given the expected increase of global population (nine billion people by 2050) and the amount of food losses and waste generated (one-third of global food production), improving the efficiency of food systems along the supply chain is essential to ensure food security. This study combines life-cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess the efficiency of Spanish agri-food system and to propose improvement actions in order to reduce energy usage and GHG emissions. An average energy saving of approximately 70% is estimated for the Spanish agri-food system in order to be efficient. This study highlights the importance of the DEA method as a tool for energy optimization, identifying efficient and inefficient food systems. This approach could be adopted by administrations, policy-makers, and producers as a helpful instrument to support decision-making and improve the sustainability of agri-food systems.

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Food and Environment

Food Systems Sustainability and Environmental Policies in Modern Economies - Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-3631-4.ch002 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 15-31

Author(s):

Pedro Pinheiro Gomes

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Food Systems ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Environmental Indicators ◽

Diet Patterns ◽

Environment And Health ◽

Different Populations ◽

Nutritional Balance

Recent studies related the link between food consumption and impacts on environment and health. These may present variations according to the dietary patterns of different populations. This chapter assesses the impacts of six dietary patterns while emphasizing protein overconsumption and sustainability of food systems in a world where one billion people are hungry and several more suffer from conditions related to obesity. The chapter shows the nutritional disparity existent in different dietary patterns and potential to make changes. Changes in dietary patterns are an opportunity to contribute for environmental and health benefits. The analysis was based on a set of environmental indicators such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land use demand, while providing a nutritional balance. The methodology comprehended a life cycle assessment in order to quantify the GHG emissions and the land use demand for food production. Finally, a review is made to focus on the benefits of shifting from current diet patterns to more sustainable ones, such as the Mediterranean.

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Life-cycle greenhouse gas assessment of Community Supported Agriculture in California's Central Valley

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170517000254 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 33 (5) ◽

pp. 393-405 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Libby O. Christensen ◽

Ryan E. Galt ◽

Alissa Kendall

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Food Systems ◽

Distribution Systems ◽

Production Systems ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Central Valley ◽

Community Supported Agriculture ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Production And Distribution

AbstractMany consumers are trying to reduce their food's environmental impact by purchasing more locally sourced food. One choice for local food is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), in which farmers provide a share of produce on a regular basis to pre-paying farm members. The number of CSAs in the USA has grown from two in the mid-1980s to perhaps as many as 12,617 according to the latest US census of agriculture (2014). We use a case study approach to investigate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with five CSA operations in the Sacramento Valley of California. By understanding the GHG emissions of CSAs and the practices that might be improved, we hope to support innovative strategies to reduce GHG emissions in these agricultural production systems. Input, production and distribution data were collected from each farm and reported in CO2e emissions for 1 kg CSA produce at the pickup location. Results show large variation in total emissions, ranging from 1.72 to 6.69 kg CO2e kg−1 of produce with an average of 3.94 kg CO2e kg−1 produce. The largest source of emissions was electricity, contributing over 70% of total CO2e emissions on average. Based on our findings, despite the seemingly similarities between these operations in terms of production site, acreage, customers and production practices, there is still a large amount of variability with regard to total GHG. Thus we argue coming up with a standardized production function for diversified production and deriving GHGs or calculating average total emissions overlooks the heterogeneity of the system. Food systems can never be reduced to a simple binary of local is better and conventional is worse, or its inverse local is worse and conventional is better, because of the complexities of the production and distribution systems and their relationship to GHG emissions. Yet, we can say that localized production systems that are low in electricity use (or use renewable energy sources) and use efficiently-produced compost use have lower GHG emissions than those that do not.

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The role of seafood in sustainable diets

Environmental Research Letters ◽

10.1088/1748-9326/ac3954 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

John Zachary Koehn ◽

Edward Hugh Allison ◽

Christopher D. Golden ◽

Ray Hilborn

Keyword(s):

Food Systems ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Production Method ◽

Meat Production ◽

Environmental Costs ◽

Animal Source Foods ◽

Sustainable Diets ◽

Animal Source ◽

Nutritional Benefits ◽

Fish And Shellfish

Abstract Recent discussions of healthy and sustainable diets encourage increased consumption of plants and decreased consumption of animal-source foods for both human and environmental health. Seafood is often peripheral in these discussions. This paper examines the relative environmental costs of sourcing key nutrients from different kinds of seafood, other animal-source foods, and a range of plant-based foods. We linked a nutrient richness index for different foods to life cycle assessments of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the production of these foods to evaluate nutritional benefits relative to this key indicator of environmental impacts. The lowest GHG emissions to meet average nutrient requirement values were found in grains, tubers, roots, seeds, wild-caught small pelagic fish, and farmed bivalve shellfish. The highest GHG emissions per nutrient supply are in beef, pork, wild-caught prawns, farmed catfish, tilapia and farmed crustaceans. Among animal-source foods, some fish and shellfish have GHG emissions at least as low as plants and merit inclusion in food systems policymaking for their potential to support a healthy, sustainable diet. However, other aquatic species and production methods deliver nutrition to diets at environmental costs at least as high as land-based meat production. It is important to disaggregate seafood by species and production method in ‘planetary health diet’ advice.

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Role of Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) in Sustainable Agriculture: A Review

International Journal of Advancement in Life Sciences Research ◽

10.31632/ijalsr.2021.v04i03.001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Rittwika Mukherjee ◽

Supatra Sen

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Fixation ◽

Sustainable Agriculture ◽

Biological Nitrogen Fixation ◽

Crop Production ◽

Food Systems ◽

Management Practices ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Biological Nitrogen

Agriculture has an enormous environmental footprint. One of the best ways to mitigate climate change is to create balanced food systems based on sustainable agriculture. To reduce the chemical dependence scientists are engineering crop plants for N 2 fixation and they are focused on the biological process BNF (Biological Nitrogen Fixation) for the needs of N2 for crop plant soils. N2 fixed by the BNF process reduces the production cost, Green House gas (GHG) emissions, pollution of surface and ground water. Several management practices are there which influence BNF process in agricultural system. They are N- fertilization species genotype and cultivar and seeding ratios. Better management practices can help to improve N2 fixation. This review highlights the agro-economic importance of BNF and shows it as a cost effective, non- polluting way to improve the soil fertility and crop production.

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Food and Environment

Research Anthology on Food Waste Reduction and Alternative Diets for Food and Nutrition Security ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-5354-1.ch053 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1062-1075

Author(s):

Pedro Pinheiro Gomes

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Food Systems ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Environmental Indicators ◽

Diet Patterns ◽

Environment And Health ◽

Different Populations ◽

Nutritional Balance

Recent studies related the link between food consumption and impacts on environment and health. These may present variations according to the dietary patterns of different populations. This chapter assesses the impacts of six dietary patterns while emphasizing protein overconsumption and sustainability of food systems in a world where one billion people are hungry and several more suffer from conditions related to obesity. The chapter shows the nutritional disparity existent in different dietary patterns and potential to make changes. Changes in dietary patterns are an opportunity to contribute for environmental and health benefits. The analysis was based on a set of environmental indicators such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land use demand, while providing a nutritional balance. The methodology comprehended a life cycle assessment in order to quantify the GHG emissions and the land use demand for food production. Finally, a review is made to focus on the benefits of shifting from current diet patterns to more sustainable ones, such as the Mediterranean.

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The Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Various Dietary Practices and Intervention Possibilities to Reduce This Impact

Impact of Meat Consumption on Health and Environmental Sustainability - Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-9553-5.ch001 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 1-26

Author(s):

Celia Green ◽

Andrew Joyce ◽

Jonathan Hallett ◽

Toni Hannelly ◽

Gemma Carey

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Food Systems ◽

Food System ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Systems Science ◽

Dietary Practices ◽

Animal Products ◽

Dietary Choices ◽

The Impact

This chapter examines the link between dietary choices and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and possible interventions to reduce this impact. The connections between climate change, food systems and public health are explored. It is shown that there is variance in the impact of different food types on GHG emissions, with animal products having the greatest impact. The role of food system activities in the production of GHG emissions is also explored. Dietary choices and GHG emissions are examined using case studies from a variety of countries. Results show that reduced animal food production has increased potential to reduce GHG emissions compared to technological mitigation or increased productivity measures. Finally, a systems science approach is used to explore possible interventions aimed at reducing consumption of animal products.

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A harmonised systems-wide re-analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from sunflower oil production

10.1101/2020.06.19.161893 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Thomas D Alcock ◽

David E Salt ◽

Stephen J Ramsden

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Sunflower Oil ◽

Food Systems ◽

Production Systems ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Oil Production ◽

Life Cycle Inventory Data ◽

Oil Crops ◽

Fertiliser Use ◽

Global Food

AbstractSunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is the largest source of vegetable oil in Europe and the fourth largest globally. Intensive cultivation and post-harvest steps contribute to global food-systems’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, variation between production systems and reporting disparity have resulted in discordance in previous emissions estimates. To assess systems-wide GHG implications of meeting increasing edible oil demand using sunflower, we performed a unified re-analysis of primary life cycle inventory data, representing 995 farms in 11 countries, from a saturating search of published literature. Total GHG emissions varied from 1.1 to 4.2 kg CO2-equivalent per kg oil across systems, 62% of which originated from cultivation. Major emissions sources included diesel- and fertiliser-use, with irrigation electricity contributing most to between-systems variation. Our harmonised, cross-study re-analysis not only enabled robust comparisons and identification of mitigation opportunities across sunflower oil production systems, but also lays the groundwork for comparisons between alternative oil crops.

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Organic Farming and Climate Change: The Need for Innovation

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12177012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (17) ◽

pp. 7012

Author(s):

Sean Clark

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Organic Farming ◽

Food Systems ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Life Cycle Assessments ◽

Conventional Agriculture ◽

Organic Movement ◽

Societal Level ◽

The Impact ◽

Societal Interest

Organic agriculture has experienced remarkable growth in recent decades as societal interest in environmental protection and healthy eating has increased. Research has shown that relative to conventional agriculture, organic farming is more efficient in its use of non-renewable energy, maintains or improves soil quality, and has less of a detrimental effect on water quality and biodiversity. Studies have had more mixed findings, however, when examining the impact of organic farming on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change. Life cycle assessments (LCAs) in particular have indicated that organic farming can often result in higher GHG emissions per unit product as a result of lower yields. The organic movement has the opportunity to embrace the science of LCA and use this information in developing tools for site-specific assessments that can point toward strategies for improvements. Responding effectively to the climate change crisis should be at the core of the organic movement’s values. Additionally, while societal-level behavioral and policy changes will be required to reduce waste and shift diets to achieve essential reductions in GHG emissions throughout food systems, organic farming should be open to seriously considering emerging technologies and methods to improve its performance and reduce GHG emissions at the production stage.

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A Multifunctional Solution for Wicked Problems: Value-Chain Wide Facilitation of Legumes Cultivated at Bioregional Scales Is Necessary to Address the Climate-Biodiversity-Nutrition Nexus

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems ◽

10.3389/fsufs.2021.692137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

Author(s):

Pietro P. M. Iannetta ◽

Cathy Hawes ◽

Graham S. Begg ◽

Henrik Maaß ◽

Georgia Ntatsi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Food Systems ◽

Business Models ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Wicked Problems ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Policy Action ◽

Development Indicators

Well-managed legume-based food systems are uniquely positioned to curtail the existential challenge posed by climate change through the significant contribution that legumes can make toward limiting Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. This potential is enabled by the specific functional attributes offered only by legumes, which deliver multiple co-benefits through improved ecosystem functions, including reduced farmland biodiversity loss, and better human-health and -nutrition provisioning. These three critical societal challenges are referred to collectively here as the “climate-biodiversity-nutrition nexus.” Despite the unparalleled potential of the provisions offered by legumes, this diverse crop group remains characterized as underutilized throughout Europe, and in many regions world-wide. This commentary highlights that integrated, diverse, legume-based, regenerative agricultural practices should be allied with more-concerted action on ex-farm gate factors at appropriate bioregional scales. Also, that this can be achieved whilst optimizing production, safeguarding food-security, and minimizing additional land-use requirements. To help avoid forfeiting the benefits of legume cultivation for system function, a specific and practical methodological and decision-aid framework is offered. This is based upon the identification and management of sustainable-development indicators for legume-based value chains, to help manage the key facilitative capacities and dependencies. Solving the wicked problems of the climate-biodiversity-nutrition nexus demands complex solutions and multiple benefits and this legume-focus must be allied with more-concerted policy action, including improved facilitation of the catalytic provisions provided by collaborative capacity builders—to ensure that the knowledge networks are established, that there is unhindered information flow, and that new transformative value-chain capacities and business models are established.

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