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Liao FH, Heinse R, Saul D, Newman S, Huang L, DePhelps C, Peterson S. Assessment of the Environmental Impacts of a Localized Food System and Food Waste Reduction in a Water-Scarce Region Using Diet Optimization Models. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20105890. [PMID: 37239616 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite growing interest in fresh local produce across the United States, scaling up local agricultural development might impose new environmental pressures on increasingly scarce water and land resources in specific localities. Drawing upon the case of the Palouse of the US Inland Northwest, this study evaluates land and water footprints of local foods along with food waste reduction in a water-scarce region. We used both non-robust and robust diet-optimization techniques to estimate the minimum amounts of irrigation water necessary to grow foods locally and to satisfy the local population's caloric or nutrition needs. Our modeling results indicate that, on an annual basis, an increase of less than 5% of the current freshwater withdrawal on the Palouse could satisfy 10% of the local population's aspirational demand for locally grown food products, while more than 35% of local foods (by mass) may be wasted. Furthermore, reducing food waste by 50% could simultaneously reduce water use by up to 24%, cropland use by 13%, and pastureland use by 20%. Our findings not only provide intriguing information for access to local food but could also be used to stimulate new efforts to increase consumers' and retailers' awareness of environmental benefits associated with food waste reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Haifeng Liao
- Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Robert Heinse
- Department of Soil and Water Systems, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Darin Saul
- Arrowleaf Consulting, Walla Walla, WA 99362, USA
| | - Soren Newman
- Arrowleaf Consulting, Walla Walla, WA 99362, USA
| | - Li Huang
- Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Colette DePhelps
- Northern District Extension, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Steven Peterson
- College of Business and Economics, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
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Stone TF, Thompson JR, Rosentrater KA, Liebman M. Modeling a localized metropolitan food system in the Midwest USA: Life cycle impacts of scenarios for Des Moines, Iowa. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 865:161095. [PMID: 36587659 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Food systems are energy-intensive, causing ≈25 % of anthropogenic global warming potential (GWP) and contributing to challenges across the food-energy-water nexus. The state of Iowa, USA, is of particular interest as a rainfed agricultural region of the upper Midwest; despite its highly productive landscape, a large proportion of food consumed by Iowa residents is imported. This study focused on the Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area (DM-MSA), a six-county area in central Iowa with a 2020 population of ≈700,000. A life cycle assessment approach was used to quantify environmental impacts (GWP, fossil energy and water consumption, land use); scenarios modeled provision and consumption of 50 % of nutritional requirements for the current DM-MSA population by food group (e.g., grains, proteins, vegetables). The four DM-MSA food system scenarios were: 1) current conditions (baseline), 2) local production for 50 % of food, 3) consumption changed to follow USA dietary guidelines, and 4) combined changes to production and consumption. Localizing food production reduced all environmental impacts more than following USA dietary guidelines. Compared to the baseline, 50 % local production scenarios reduced GWP and energy consumption (18-24 %) and water use (35-41 %) annually. Decreases by food group were least for protein (-10 % GWP) and greatest for fruits and vegetables (-58-62 % GWP). Local scenario alternatives could further reduce some environmental impacts if paired with a nutritionally- and environmentally-optimized diet (EAT-Lancet) providing the greatest change (-30-38 % for GWP and energy use) compared to the local scenario. A 50 % local production scenario for the DM-MSA could decrease GWP by 102 million CO2eq yr-1 and water use by 44 billion L yr-1. However, this would require dietary changes based on seasonal food availability. Further development and co-simulation with other metropolitan-scale biophysical and social models will enhance understanding of food system drivers and support effective decision-making for urban food system improvements in the Midwest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffanie F Stone
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Janette R Thompson
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Kurt A Rosentrater
- Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Matt Liebman
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
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Arciniegas G, Wascher D, Eyre P, Sylla M, Vicente-Vicente JL, Świa̧der M, Unger T, Prag AA, Lysák M, Schafer LJ, Welker E, Sanz ES, Henriksen CB. A participatory tool for assessing land footprint in city-region food systems—A case study from Metropolitan Copenhagen. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.846869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of current food systems to feed populations around the world. Particularly in urban centers, consumers have been confronted with this vulnerability, highlighting reliance on just-in-time logistics, imports and distant primary production. Urban food demand, regional food supply, land use change, and transport strategies are considered key factors for reestablishing resilient landscapes as part of a sustainable food system. Improving the sustainability of food systems in such circumstances entails working on the interrelations between food supply and demand, rural and urban food commodity production sites, and groups of involved actors and consumers. Of special significance is the agricultural land in close proximity to urban centers. Calling for more holistic approaches in the sense of inclusiveness, food security, citizen involvement and ecological principles, this article describes the use of a new decision support tool, the Metropolitan Foodscape Planner (MFP). The MFP features up-to-date European datasets to assess the potential of current agricultural land use to provide food resources (with special attention to both plant- and animal-based products) and meet the demand of city dwellers, and help to empower citizens, innovators, companies, public authorities and other stakeholders of regional food systems to build a more regionalized food supply network. The tool was tested in the context of the food system of the Copenhagen City Region in two collaborative workshops, namely one workshop with stakeholders of the Copenhagen City Region representing food consultancies, local planning authorities and researchers, and one in-person workshop masterclass with MSc students from the University of Copenhagen. Workshop participants used the tool to learn about the impacts of the current food system at the regional and international level with regard to the demand-supply paradigm of city-regions. The ultimate goal was to develop a participatory mapping exercise and test three food system scenarios for a more regionalized and sustainable food system and, therefore, with increased resilience to crises. Results from this implementation also demonstrated the potential of the tool to identify food production sites at local level that are potentially able to feed the city region in a more sustainable, nutritious and way.
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Zhang YW, McCarl BA, Cao Z, Li Q, Yang S, Liu H. Operating pesticide use reduction within the boundary of food security in peri-urban settings. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 2:635-647. [PMID: 38934006 PMCID: PMC11197716 DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pesticide use in peri-urban areas affects the urban environment and public health, and reducing the use may present food security issues for urban dwellers. In this study, we explore how a municipality-adopted goal of a 20% reduction in pesticide use could be achieved, along with local food security and environmental implications, for Shanghai located in the densely populated East China. A regional Shanghai Agricultural Sector Model incorporating district- and technology-varying crop budgets, was developed to simulate the effects of pesticide reduction policy. Here we find that achieving the reduction goal had the largest implications in districts with high pesticide use totals and intensities, potentially reducing pesticide non-point source pollution in the Yangtze River Estuary and Dianshan Lake; the production levels of rice and leafy vegetables would be most affected; and adopting machinery that allows more precise pesticide application modulates these results. Moreover, imposing the requirements at the district-level caused more severe local food security concerns, and less environmental benefits. Furthermore, a closed Shanghai's agricultural economy would substantially enlarge the regional heterogeneity in the above-mentioned outcomes. Exploring the effects of a quantity control policy on current-use pesticides at different aggregation levels has important implications for regulating the use of agrochemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuquan W. Zhang
- China-UK Low Carbon College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 3 Yinlian Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Bruce A. McCarl
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, 2124 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Zhengwei Cao
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qiang Li
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Shaohua Yang
- China-UK Low Carbon College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 3 Yinlian Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Huiwen Liu
- China-UK Low Carbon College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 3 Yinlian Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201306, China
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Global Trends in Urban Agriculture Research: A Pathway toward Urban Resilience and Sustainability. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11010117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Urban agriculture has been proposed as an important urban element to deal with the challenges of food insecurity and environmental deterioration. In order to track current popular topics and global research trends in urban agriculture, we used bibliometric analysis and visualization mapping to evaluate and analyze the developments in the knowledge of urban agriculture based on 605 papers from the core collection database Web of Science from 2001–2021. The results were as follows. (1) The number of urban agriculture publications increased substantially year by year, indicating that the field is attracting increasing attention. The University of Kassel, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and University of Freiburg are the most productive research institutions in the field of urban agriculture. The top-five most influential countries are the Unites States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and China, of which the Unites States plays a central role in the cooperative linkage between countries. (2) Research on urban agriculture focuses not only on food production and different styles but also on how to realize the various functions of urban agriculture. In addition, UA-related sustainability and the water-energy-food nexus have become two emerging research topics. (3) Urban agriculture does not necessarily mean a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly food system. To achieve sustainable development, a transition based on technological innovation is needed. How to improve the sustainable development level of the food system while fully considering the resilience, sustainability, and versatility of urban agriculture is the main direction of future research.
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Stein AJ, Santini F. The sustainability of "local" food: a review for policy-makers. REVIEW OF AGRICULTURAL, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES 2021; 103:77-89. [PMID: 38624674 PMCID: PMC8147589 DOI: 10.1007/s41130-021-00148-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the political discussion, the promotion of local food systems and short supply chains is sometimes presented as a means to increase the resilience of the food system, e.g. in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is also suggested as a means to improve the environmental footprint of the food system. Differentiating between local food systems and short supply chains, a review of the literature on the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability is carried out. "Local food" cannot simply be equated with "sustainable food"; in most cases, it neither can ensure food security nor does it necessarily have a lower carbon footprint. For the environmental sustainability of food systems, many more factors matter than just transportation, not least consumers' dietary choices. In terms of social sustainability, local food systems are not necessarily more resilient, but they can contribute to rural development and a sense of community. In terms of economic sustainability, selling via short supply chains into local markets can benefit certain farmers, while for other producers it can be more profitable to supply international markets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Stein
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Rue de la Loi 130, 1049 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fabien Santini
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Rue de la Loi 130, 1049 Brussels, Belgium
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