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Long Y, Huang L, Fujie R, He P, Chen Z, Xu X, Yoshida Y. Carbon footprint and embodied nutrition evaluation of 388 recipes. Sci Data 2023; 10:794. [PMID: 37949916 PMCID: PMC10638372 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02702-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Food consumption, which delivers fundamental energy and essential nutrients to human beings, is crucial for achieving a series of sustainable goals. Alongside rising population growth and living standards, there has been a significant increase in food cultivation demands, supply chain complexities, and waste management. Therefore, to protect human health and the environment, promoting sustainable food systems and the uptake of sustainable dietary habits are vital. Yet, information on the environmental and health impact of dietary choices remains inconsistent across multiple evaluation methods, which fail to deliver essential ideas to consumers. In this study, we formulate an integrated approach using Environmentally Extended Input-Output analysis, covering the food supply chain from production to the distribution phase, complemented with a hybrid Life Cycle Assessment for cooking and disposal processes, to quantify the carbon footprint of specific recipes. Our dataset also includes the distinct nutritional values of each recipe. This dataset not only informs the food industry and recipe platforms, enabling more sustainable choices, but also helps individuals balance nutritional value with environmental impact, leading to more informed and sustainable dietary decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Long
- Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Liqiao Huang
- Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rinakira Fujie
- Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Pan He
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Zhiheng Chen
- Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Xiaoyan Xu
- Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Singh S, Vemireddy V. Transitioning diets: a mixed methods study on factors affecting inclusion of millets in the urban population. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2003. [PMID: 37833667 PMCID: PMC10576316 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16872-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The increasing health challenge in urban India has led to consumers to change their diet preferences by shifting away from staple cereals and making way for healthier foods such as nutri-cereals like millets and other diverse food groups. Taking the case of millets, this study seeks to uncover the exact drivers for this shift of consumers away from a traditional cereal dense diet to a nutritionally more diverse diet that includes nutri-cereal. We also look at deterrents that dissuade consumers from shifting to millets. METHOD We use primary data by surveying respondents through interviews and focused group discussions and online questionnaires. A total of 20 personal consumer interviews and 4 focus group discussions having 8-12 members each were conducted to arrive at the measures for the study. We use logistic regression and Structural Equation Modeling for data analysis. Responses were obtained across major metropolitan cities and tier 2 cities of India thus ensuring representation of geographical, cultural and diet diversity. 875 participants' responses were analysed for results. RESULTS Health reasons and social networks are the major drivers for shift to millets while lack of awareness, lack of easy availability, high prices, lack of branded products, family being averse to switching to millets and lack of attractive promotional cashbacks and discounts are major deterrents to trying out millets. CONCLUSIONS Diet focussed interventions are urgently needed to curb rising diet related non communicable diseases. Government policies aimed at greater production of millets, running awareness campaigns on mass media and private sector initiatives aimed at generating better value added market offerings could lead the way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suruchi Singh
- Centre for Management in Agriculture, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad, India.
| | - Vidya Vemireddy
- Centre for Management in Agriculture, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad, India
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Springmann M, Van Dingenen R, Vandyck T, Latka C, Witzke P, Leip A. The global and regional air quality impacts of dietary change. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6227. [PMID: 37802979 PMCID: PMC10558460 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41789-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Air pollution increases cardiovascular and respiratory-disease risk, and reduces cognitive and physical performance. Food production, especially of animal products, is a major source of methane and ammonia emissions which contribute to air pollution through the formation of particulate matter and ground-level ozone. Here we show that dietary changes towards more plant-based flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets could lead to meaningful reductions in air pollution with health and economic benefits. Using systems models, we estimated reductions in premature mortality of 108,000-236,000 (3-6%) globally, including 20,000-44,000 (9-21%) in Europe, 14,000-21,000 (12-18%) in North America, and 49,000-121,000 (4-10%) in Eastern Asia. We also estimated greater productivity, increasing economic output by USD 0.6-1.3 trillion (0.5-1.1%). Our findings suggest that incentivising dietary changes towards more plant-based diets could be a valuable mitigation strategy for reducing ambient air pollution and the associated health and economic impacts, especially in regions with intensive agriculture and high population density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Springmann
- Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | | | - Toon Vandyck
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Seville, Spain
- Department of Economics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catharina Latka
- Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Peter Witzke
- Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- EuroCARE-Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Adrian Leip
- European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, Bioeconomy and Food Systems Unit, Brussels, Belgium
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Ren M, Huang C, Wu Y, Deppermann A, Frank S, Havlík P, Zhu Y, Fang C, Ma X, Liu Y, Zhao H, Chang J, Ma L, Bai Z, Xu S, Dai H. Enhanced food system efficiency is the key to China's 2060 carbon neutrality target. NATURE FOOD 2023:10.1038/s43016-023-00790-1. [PMID: 37400718 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00790-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, among other negative-emission technologies, is required for China to achieve carbon neutrality-yet it may hinder land-based Sustainable Development Goals. Using modelling and scenario analysis, we investigate how to mitigate the potential adverse impacts on the food system of ambitious bioenergy deployment in China and its trading partners. We find that producing bioenergy domestically while sticking to the food self-sufficiency ratio redlines would lower China's daily per capita calorie intake by 8% and increase domestic food prices by 23% by 2060. Removing China's food self-sufficiency ratio restrictions could halve the domestic food dilemma but risks transferring environmental burdens to other countries, whereas halving food loss and waste, shifting to healthier diets and narrowing crop yield gaps could effectively mitigate these external effects. Our results show that simultaneously achieving carbon neutrality, food security and global sustainability requires a careful combination of these measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ren
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Peking University, Beijing, China
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Chen Huang
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Yazhen Wu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Andre Deppermann
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Stefan Frank
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Petr Havlík
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Yuyao Zhu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Chen Fang
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaotian Ma
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Liu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zhao
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Jinfeng Chang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Ma
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zhaohai Bai
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Shasha Xu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Hancheng Dai
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Institute for Global Health and Development, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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Gatto A, Kuiper M, van Meijl H. Economic, social and environmental spillovers decrease the benefits of a global dietary shift. NATURE FOOD 2023:10.1038/s43016-023-00769-y. [PMID: 37277490 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00769-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Dietary shifts are key for enhancing the sustainability of current food systems but need to account for potential economic, social and environmental indirect effects as well. By tracing physical quantities of biomass along supply chains in a global economic model, we investigate the benefits of adopting the EAT-Lancet diet and other social, economic and environmental spillovers in the wider economy. We find that decreased global food demand reduces global biomass production, food prices, trade, land use and food loss and waste but also reduces food affordability for low-income agricultural households. In sub-Saharan Africa, increased food demand and higher prices decrease food affordability also for non-agricultural households. Economic spillovers into non-food sectors limit agricultural land and greenhouse gas reductions as cheaper biomass is demanded more for non-food use. From an environmental perspective, economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions increase as lower global food demand at lower prices frees income subsequently spent on non-food items.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Gatto
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy, Wageningen University and Wageningen Economic Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Marijke Kuiper
- Department of International Policy, Wageningen University and Wageningen Economic Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans van Meijl
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy, Wageningen University and Wageningen Economic Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Less meat in the shopping basket. The effect on meat purchases of higher prices, an information nudge and the combination: a randomised controlled trial. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1137. [PMID: 35672726 PMCID: PMC9171470 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13535-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reduced meat consumption benefits human and planetary health. Modelling studies have demonstrated the significant health and environmental gains that could be achieved through fiscal measures targeting meat. Adding other interventions may enhance the effect of a fiscal measure. The current study aimed to examine the effect of higher meat prices, an information nudge and a combination of both measures on meat purchases in a three-dimensional virtual supermarket. Methods A parallel designed randomised controlled trial with four conditions was performed. Participants (≥ 18 years) were randomly assigned to the control condition or one of the experimental conditions: a 30% price increase for meat (‘Price condition’), an information nudge about the environmental impact of meat production and consumers’ role in that regard (‘Information nudge condition’) or a combination of both (‘Combination condition’). Participants were asked to shop for their household for one week. The primary outcome was the difference in the total amount of meat purchased in grams per household per week. Results Between 22 June 2020 and 28 August 2020, participants were recruited and randomly assigned to the control and experimental conditions. The final sample included 533 participants. In the ‘Combination condition’, − 386 g (95% CI: − 579, − 193) meat was purchased compared with the ‘Control condition’. Compared to the ‘Control condition’ less meat was purchased in the ‘Price condition’ (− 144 g (95%CI: − 331, 43)), although not statistically significant, whereas a similar amount of meat was purchased in the ‘Information nudge condition’ (1 g (95%CI: − 188, 189)). Conclusion Achieving the most pronounced effects on reduced meat purchases will require a policy mixture of pricing and informational nudging. Less meat is purchased in a virtual supermarket after raising the meat price by 30% combined with an information nudge. The results could be used to design evidence-based policy measures to reduce meat purchases. Trial registration The trial was registered in the Netherlands Trial Register identifier NL8628. Registered on 18/05/2020. ICTRP Search Portal (who.int) NTR (trialregister.nl). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13535-9.
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Bodirsky BL, Chen DMC, Weindl I, Soergel B, Beier F, Molina Bacca EJ, Gaupp F, Popp A, Lotze-Campen H. Integrating degrowth and efficiency perspectives enables an emission-neutral food system by 2100. NATURE FOOD 2022; 3:341-348. [PMID: 37117564 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-022-00500-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Degrowth proponents advocate reducing ecologically destructive forms of production and resource throughput in wealthy economies to achieve environmental goals, while transforming production to focus on human well-being. Here we present a quantitative model to test degrowth principles in the food and land system. Our results confirm that reducing and redistributing income alone, within current development paradigms, leads to limited greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation from agriculture and land-use change, as the nutrition transition towards unsustainable diets already occurs at relatively low income levels. Instead, we show that a structural, qualitative food system transformation can achieve a steady-state food system economy that is net GHG-neutral by 2100 while improving nutritional outcomes. This sustainable transformation reduces material throughput via a convergence towards a needs-based food system, is enabled by a more equitable income distribution and includes efficient resource allocation through the pricing of GHG emissions as a complementary strategy. It thereby integrates degrowth and efficiency perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Leon Bodirsky
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
- World Vegetable Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - David Meng-Chuen Chen
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany.
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Isabelle Weindl
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Bjoern Soergel
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Felicitas Beier
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Edna J Molina Bacca
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Gaupp
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
- EAT, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexander Popp
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Hermann Lotze-Campen
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
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Frehner A, De Boer IJM, Muller A, Van Zanten HHE, Schader C. Consumer strategies towards a more sustainable food system: insights from Switzerland. Am J Clin Nutr 2022; 115:1039-1047. [PMID: 34871355 PMCID: PMC8971011 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To improve the sustainability performance of food systems, both consumption- and production-side changes are needed. OBJECTIVES To this end, we assessed multiple sustainability impacts of 6 consumer strategies together with production-side aspects such as organic and circularity principles for Switzerland. METHODS Two strategies encompassed dietary changes: following a pescetarian diet and adhering to the national dietary guidelines. Two strategies employed alternative farming systems: increasing the share of organic production and, in addition, applying the circularity principle of avoiding feed-food competition by limiting livestock feed to low-opportunity-cost biomass. A fifth strategy reduced food waste. The sixth strategy increased the share of domestic produce. For all strategies, we assessed greenhouse gas emissions, land use, nitrogen surplus, social risks, diet quality, and diet costs. RESULTS The strategies revealed trade-offs between impact categories, unless combined in a synergistic way. Whereas dietary changes towards more plant-based diets reduced environmental impacts (≤51%) and increased diet quality (≤57%), they increased social risks due to increased sourcing from contexts with potentially bad labor conditions (≤19%). Further, when the share of organic produce was increased, land use and dietary costs were increased (≤33% and ≤42%, respectively). The effect on land use could, however, be reversed when circularity principles were introduced in addition to the organic production standard, resulting in reductions for all environmental indicators (≤75%). Reducing food waste and increasing the share of domestic produce led to better sustainability performance as well, but at lower orders of magnitude. CONCLUSIONS Combining all proposed strategies could lead to substantial favorable changes on all impact categories assessed, but would require a thorough transformation of the current food system. However, the sum of individual consumers each following only 1 of the strategies proposed would make an important contribution towards improving the sustainability performance of the Swiss food system.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Frehner
- Department of Socioeconomics, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
- Animal Production Systems group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Farming Systems Ecology group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - I J M De Boer
- Animal Production Systems group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - A Muller
- Department of Socioeconomics, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
- Institute of Environmental Decisions, Federal Institutes of Technology Zurich ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - H H E Van Zanten
- Farming Systems Ecology group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - C Schader
- Department of Socioeconomics, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
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Integration of various dimensions in food-based dietary guidelines via mathematical approaches: report of a DGE/FENS Workshop in Bonn, Germany, 23-24 September 2019. Br J Nutr 2020; 126:942-949. [PMID: 33272337 DOI: 10.1017/s0007114520004857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In the past, food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) were derived nearly exclusively by using systematic reviews on diet-health relationships and translating dietary reference values for nutrient intake into foods. This approach neglects many other implications that dietary recommendations have on society, the economy and environment. In view of pressing challenges, such as climate change and the rising burden of diet-related diseases, the simultaneous integration of evidence-based findings from different dimensions into FBDGs is required. Consequently, mathematical methods and data processing are evolving as powerful tools in nutritional sciences. The possibilities and reasons for the derivation of FBDGs via mathematical approaches were the subject of a joint workshop hosted by the German Nutrition Society (DGE) and the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) in September 2019 in Bonn, Germany. European scientists were invited to discuss and exchange on the topics of mathematical optimisation for the development of FBDGs and different approaches to integrate various dimensions into FBDGs. We concluded that mathematical optimisation is a suitable tool to formulate FBDGs finding trade-offs between conflicting goals and taking several dimensions into account. We identified a lack of evidence for the extent to which constraints and weights for different dimensions are set and the challenge to compile diverse data that suit the demands of optimisation models. We also found that individualisation via mathematical optimisation is one perspective of FBDGs to increase consumer acceptance, but the application of mathematical optimisation for population-based and individual FBDGs requires more experience and evaluation for further improvements.
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