scholarly journals A Worldwide Hotspot Analysis on Food Loss and Waste, Associated Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Protein Losses

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuezhen Guo ◽  
Jan Broeze ◽  
Jim J. Groot ◽  
Heike Axmann ◽  
Martijntje Vollebregt
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Hotspot Analysis ◽  
Food Loss ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Versus Protein ◽  
Global Food

Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) is prioritized in UN sustainable development goals (SDG) target 12.3 to contribute to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”. It is expected to significantly improve global food security and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Identifying “hotspots” from different perspectives of sustainability helps to prioritize the food items for which interventions can lead to the largest reduction of FLW-related impacts. Existing studies in this field have limitations, such as having incomplete geographical and food commodity coverage, using outdated data, and focusing on the mass of FLW instead of its nutrient values. To provide renewed and more informative insights, we conducted a global hotspot analysis concerning FLW with its associated GHG emissions and protein losses using the most recent data (the new FAO Food Balance Sheets updated in 2020). The findings of this research are that there were 1.9 Gt of FLW, 2.5 Gt of associated GHG emissions, and 0.1 Gt of associated protein losses globally in 2017. The results of the FLW amounts, GHG emissions, and protein losses per chain link are given on the scale of the entire world and continental regions. Next to this, food items with relatively high FLW, GHG emissions, and protein losses are highlighted to provide the implications to policymakers for better decision making. For example, fruits and vegetables contribute the most to global FLW volumes, but the product with the highest FLW-associated GHG emissions is bovine meat. For bovine meat, FLW-associated GHG emissions are highest at the consumer stage of North America and Oceania. Oil crops are the major source of protein losses in the global food chain. Another important finding with policy implications is that priorities for FLW reduction vary, dependent on prioritized sustainability criteria (e.g., GHG emissions versus protein losses).

scholarly journals Behavioural changes in urban mobility in Barcelona due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinna Peters
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Public Transport ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Urban Mobility ◽  
The City

This study assesses changes in mobility behaviour in the City of Barcelona due the COVID‐19pandemic and its impact on air pollution and GHG emissions. Urban transport is an important sourceof global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Improving urban mobility patterns is therefore crucial formitigating climate change. This study combines quantitative survey data and official governmentdata with in‐depth interviews with public administration officials of the City. Data illustrates thatBarcelona has experienced an unprecedented reduction in mobility during the lockdown (a 90%drop) and mobility remained at comparatively low levels throughout the year 2020. Most remarkableis the decrease in the use of public transport in 2020 compared to pre‐pandemic levels, whereas roadtraffic has decreased to a lesser extent and cycling surged at times to levels up to 60% higher thanpre‐pandemic levels. These changes in mobility have led to a radical and historic reduction in airpollution, with NO2 and PM10 concentration complying with WHO guidelines in 2020. Reductions inGHG emissions for Barcelona’s transport sector are estimated at almost 250.000 t CO2eq in 2020 (7%of the City’s overall annual emissions). The study derives policy implications aimed at achieving along‐term shift towards climate‐friendlier, low‐emission transport in Barcelona, namely how torecover lost demand in public transport and seize the opportunity that the crisis brings for reform byfurther reducing road traffic and establishing a 'cycling culture' in Barcelona, as already achieved inother European cities.

A review of whole farm-system analysis in evaluating greenhouse-gas mitigation strategies from livestock production systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Rawnsley ◽  
Robyn A. Dynes ◽  
Karen M. Christie ◽  
Matthew Tom Harrison ◽  
Natalie A. Doran-Browne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
System Level ◽  
Food Demand ◽  
Ghg Mitigation ◽  
Farm System ◽  
Global Food

Recognition is increasingly given to the need of improving agricultural production and efficiency to meet growing global food demand, while minimising environmental impacts. Livestock forms an important component of global food production and is a significant contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. As such, livestock production systems (LPS) are coming under increasing pressure to lower their emissions. In developed countries, LPS have been gradually reducing their emissions per unit of product (emissions intensity; EI) over time through improvements in production efficiency. However, the global challenge of reducing net emissions (NE) from livestock requires that the rate of decline in EI surpasses the productivity increases required to satisfy global food demand. Mechanistic and dynamic whole farm-system models can be used to estimate farm-gate GHG emissions and to quantify the likely changes in farm NE, EI, farm productivity and farm profitability as a result of applying various mitigation strategies. Such models are also used to understand the complex interactions at the farm-system level and to account for how component mitigation strategies perform within the complexity of these interactions, which is often overlooked when GHG mitigation research is performed only at the component level. The results of such analyses can be used in extension activities and to encourage adoption, increase awareness and in assisting policy makers. The present paper reviews how whole farm-system modelling has been used to assess GHG mitigation strategies, and the importance of understanding metrics and allocation approaches when assessing GHG emissions from LPS.

scholarly journals Medium-run projections for greenhouse gas emissions arising from agriculture: the case of milk production in Estonia

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Ariva ◽  
Ants Hannes Viira ◽  
Reet Põldaru ◽  
Jüri Roots
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Market Model ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Model Context ◽  
Global Food

In order to respond to increasing global food demand and provide for national economic growth, the Estonian Dairy Strategy for 2012−2020 aims to achieve a 30% growth in milk production. At the same time, there is a global attempt to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper analyses the medium-term (2015−2020) projections for milk production and associated GHG emissions from dairy cows in Estonia. The FAPRI-GOLD type market model of Estonian agriculture, which is used for projections of agricultural production, was supplemented with a module that helps project GHG emissions. The paper demonstrates the endogenisation of GHG emission factors in a relatively general agricultural market model context. The results imply that increasing milk production by 30% by 2020 would jeopardise Estonia’s commitments with regard to agricultural GHG emissions. However, the average GHG emission per tonne of produced milk will decline, thus reducing the “carbon footprint” of milk production.

scholarly journals Evaluating Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Mitigation Goals of the Global Food and Beverage Sector

2022 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Reavis ◽  
Jenny Ahlen ◽  
Joe Rudek ◽  
Kusum Naithani
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Food Engineering ◽  
Beverage Industry ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Global Food

The dramatic increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by humans over the past century and a half has created an urgency for monitoring, reporting, and verifying GHG emissions as a first step toward mitigating the effects of climate change. Fifteen percent of global GHG emissions come from agriculture, and companies in the food and beverage industry are starting to set climate goals. We examined the GHG emissions reporting practices and climate goals of the top 100 global food and beverage companies (as ranked by Food Engineering) and determined whether their goals are aligned with the science of keeping climate warming well below a 2°C increase. Using publicly disclosed data in CDP Climate reports and company sustainability reports, we found that about two thirds of the top 100 global food and beverage companies disclose at least part of their total company emissions and set some sort of climate goal that includes scope 1 and 2 emissions. However, only about half have measured, disclosed, and set goals for scope 3 emissions, which often encompass about 88% of a company's emissions across the entire value chain on average. We also determined that companies, despite setting scope 1, 2, and 3 emission goals, may be missing the mark on whether their goals are significantly reducing global emissions. Our results present the current disclosure and emission goals of the top 100 global food and beverage companies and highlight an urgent need to begin and continue to set truly ambitious, science-aligned climate goals.

Food waste in campus dining operations: Inventory of pre- and post-consumer mass by food category, and estimation of embodied greenhouse gas emissions

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Costello ◽  
Esma Birisci ◽  
Ronald G. McGarvey
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Capital Investments ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
University Of Missouri

AbstractThere are many economic, social and environmental reasons to reduce the occurrence of food that is wasted. As communities consider options for managing their food waste streams, an understanding of the volume, composition and variability of these streams is needed to inform the decision-making process and potentially justify the capital investments needed for separation and treatment operations. This more detailed inventory also allows for the estimation of embodied resources in food that is wasted, demonstrated herein for greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Pre- and post-consumer food waste was collected from four all-you-care-to-eat Campus Dining Services (CDS) facilities at the University of Missouri, Columbia over 3 months in 2014. During the study period approximately 246.3 metric tons (t) of food reached the retail level at the four facilities. 232.4 t of this food was served and 13.9 t of it (10.1 t of edible and 3.8 t of inedible), was lost as pre-consumer waste. Over the same time period, an estimated 26.4 t of post-consumer food waste was generated at these facilities, 21.2 t of the waste edible and 5.3 t of it inedible. Overall, 5.6% of food reaching the retail level was lost at the pre-consumer stage and 10.7% was lost at the post-consumer stage. Out of the food categories examined, ‘fruits and vegetables’ constituted the largest source of food waste by weight, with grains as the second largest source of food waste by weight. GHGs embodied in edible food waste were calculated. Over the study period an estimated 11.1 t CO2e (100-yr) were embodied in the pre-consumer food waste and 56.1 t were embodied in post-consumer food waste for a total of 67.2 t. The ‘meat and protein’ category represents the largest embodiment of GHG emissions in both the pre- and post-consumer categories despite ranking fourth in total weight. Beef represents the largest contribution to post-consumer GHG emissions embodied in food waste with an estimated 34.1 t CO2e. This distinction between the greatest sources of food waste by weight and the greatest sources of GHG emissions is relevant when considering alternative management options for food waste.

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

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.

Food Loss and Waste

2022 ◽  
pp. 90-108
Author(s):  
S. Su Baysal ◽  
M. Ali Ülkü
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Food Loss ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Production And Consumption

Sustainable production and consumption of food are vital for sustainable development. About one-third of all food produced for humans are either lost or wasted causing increased food insecurity and immense economic and social costs. In a world where famine has been an alarming issue, any action to reduce food loss and waste (FLW) is crucial. This chapter reviews, from a sustainable supply chain perspective, the extant literature on food supply chains and discusses FLW issues, especially within the context of sustainable consumption of fruits and vegetables. A framework for sustainable food supply chains (SFSCs) from both production and consumption ends are discussed. In doing so, such current disruptive intelligent technologies as blockchain and the internet of things are emphasized as potential enablers for SFSCs. Mainly driven by consumers' awareness of the pressing issues in the world and consumption behaviour, mitigating FLW in SFSCs would not only result in efficient land and water use but also positively impact climate change and livelihoods towards sustainable development.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Economic Cost of Reducing GHG Emissions through Changes in Household Demand: A Linear Multi-Sectoral Approach for European Countries

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 545
Author(s):  
Alfredo J. Mainar-Causapé ◽  
Margarita I. Barrera-Lozano ◽  
Patricia D. Fuentes-Saguar
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Demand Reduction ◽  
Consequent Reduction ◽  
Service Sectors

The mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions can be approached in various ways: from the supply side, by using improvements in technologies and input uses; and from the changes in the demand for products, by influencing consumer behavior to achieve a more sustainable consumption pattern. Either way it can be approached using multi-sectoral data based on an input–output or on a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) framework, although a suitable database and the proposal of appropriate indicators are needed. A suitable database is developed through the estimation of new SAMs for the latest possible period, that of year 2015. This paper focuses on the demand approach: that of changes in the demand for products. It analyzes the different impacts among activities and commodities of a change in domestic household consumption patterns, compares the potential reductions in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions obtained through the reduction of specific demands, and considers the consequent reduction in output and employment. For this purpose, a linear multi-sectoral analysis is employed that focuses on the main EU member states. Despite major differences between countries, the results show that a decrease in emissions through demand-reduction policies exerts greater negative effects on those less polluting sectors with a higher intensity in the labor force, and offers a more suitable option for those highly polluting sectors with a lower concentration of the work factor. Richer countries that are based on service sectors therefore suffer a sharper drop in employment using this kind of policy.

scholarly journals A commentary on the carbon footprint of milk formula: harms to planetary health and policy implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie P. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Environmental Harm ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Milk Formula ◽  
Public Health Response

Abstract Background Infant formula requires mass production by the dairy industry, with plastic and other waste and degradation of land and waterways. Millions of babies, two thirds globally, now have milk formula, with breastfeeding in dramatic decline in Asia. Economic cost externalities and commercial incentives Economic thinking clarifies that markets are not perfect - price incentives can lead to excessive and inefficient environmental damage. Market prices paid to produce or use a commodity may not reflect its true resource costs. The ongoing global transition in infant and young child feeding (IYCF) toward milk formula use makes urgent the investigation of its environmental costs, including greenhouse gas (GHG) implications. Socially vulnerable populations are also particularly exposed to climate change risks, but have the least voice and agency. The important role of public health advocacy Few question the scale of the baby food industry, especially in major food exporting countries. Breastfeeding advocacy non-government organisations have led the investigations, and exposed the inequitable vulnerabilities. A ground-breaking study in 2016 showed emissions from just six Asia Pacific countries were equivalent to 6 billion miles of car travel. Each kilogram (kg) of milk formula generated 4 kg of (carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent) greenhouse gas during production. Much of this was from unnecessary toddler formula. Recent research reveals that if looking at the full product lifecycle, including consumer use, GHG emissions per kg are actually three times higher than these pioneering estimates. Environment and health harms combined with economic evidence highlight the place for a strong public health response on this issue. Conclusion Formula feeding is a maladaptive practice in the face of contemporary global environmental and population health challenges. Breastfeeding protection, support and promotion helps to safeguard planetary and human health by minimising environmental harm. It is a beneficial response to concerns about disease burdens and climate change. Breastfeeding populations are more resilient in emergencies. Effective and cost-effective policies and interventions exist for increasing breastfeeding and reducing unnecessary use of formula. Implementing such measures presents a rare opportunity to both reduce the greenhouse gas problem and improve human nutrition, health, and health equity.

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