Carbon footprint of organic beef meat from farm to fork: a case study of short supply chain

Vitali, Andrea; Grossi, Giampiero; Martino, Giuseppe; Bernabucci, U.; Nardone, A.; Lacetera, Nicola

doi:10.1002/jsfa.9098

Cited by 37 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Local food systems using organic methods increase worldwide, but little is known about their carbon footprint. Vitali et al (2018) [100] examined the production of greenhouse gases in short supply chains related to the marketing and sale of organic beef. They found that farm activities and home consumption had the greatest global warming potential in the product path.…”

Section: Environmental Aspects Of Short Supply Chainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examination of Short Supply Chains Based on Circular Economy and Sustainability Aspects

2019

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The sustainability of global food chains and intense agricultural production has become questionable. At the same time, the consumers’ interest in short supply chains (SSCs) and direct sales from producers has increased. SSCs are connected to sustainability by researchers. Their (supposed) positive sustainability attributes are based mostly on extensive production methods and short transport distances. However, from other points of view, the economic and environmental sustainability of the short chains is questionable. Our research aims to cast light on the SSCs’ role in circular economy and sustainability. By deep literature review and content analysis, we determine the sustainability aspects of short (local) chains and their effects related to economy and environment. Short supply chains are connected most widely to circularity and sustainability by the subjects of environmental burden (transport, production method, emission), health, food quality, consumers’ behavior, producer-consumer relationships, and local economy. According to our experience, these factors cannot be generalised across all kinds of short chains. Their circular economic and sustainability features are dependent on their spatial location, type, and individual attitudes of the involved consumers and producers.

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Section: Environmental Aspects Of Short Supply Chainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examination of Short Supply Chains Based on Circular Economy and Sustainability Aspects

2019

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“…Food supply chains produce Greenhouse gases (GHGs), mainly CO 2 e, throughout all the stages of the life cycle from farming processes through to warehousing, production, storage, distribution, retailing, consumption and disposal of waste (Garnett, 2006). Many studies have examined the CO 2 e generated throughout a FSC; e.g., Garnett (2006) Garnett (2011), López et al (2015), Porter et al (2018) and Vitali et al (2018). There is significant evidence in the literature on attempts made in reducing the CO 2 e associated with FSC (Gadema and Oglethorpe, 2011;Oglethorpe and Heron, 2013;Ramanathan et al, 2014).…”

Section: Fsc (Fsc): Uk Fruits and Vegetablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Key factors of carbon footprint in the UK food supply chains: a new perspective of life cycle assessment

Aikins

Ramanathan

2020

IJOPM

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically identify key factors of UK food supply chains (SCs) that significantly contribute to CO2 emissions (CO2e) taking into account the life cycle assessment (LCA). The UK food supply chain includes imports from other countries.Design/methodology/approachThis research develops a conceptual framework from extant literature. Secondary data obtained from ONS and FAOSTAT covering from 1990 to 2014 are analysed using Multilinear Regression (MLR) and Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) to identify the factors relating to CO2 emissions significance, and the efficient contributions that are being made to their reduction in the UK food supply chains.FindingsThe study results suggest that Transportation and Sales/Distribution are the two key factors of CO2 emissions in UK food supply chains. This is confirmed by two multivariate methods, MLR and SFA. MLR results show that transportation increases UK CO2 emissions by 10 tonnes of CO2 emissions from one tonne of fruits and vegetables imports from overseas to the UK Sales and Distribution reduces the UK CO2 emissions by 1.3 tonnes of CO2 emissions due to improved, technological operation activities in the UK. In addition, the SFA results confirm that the key factors are sufficient to predict an increase or decrease in CO2 emissions in the UK food supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has focused on the LCA of the UK food supply chain from limited data. Future studies should consider Sustainability Impact Assessment of the UK food supply chain, identifying the social, economic, regulatory and environmental impacts of the food supply chain using a re-defined LCA (all-inclusive assessment) tool.Practical implicationsThis research suggests that food supply chain professionals should improve efficiency, e.g. the use of solar energy and biogas, and also integrate low-carbon policies and practices in food supply chain operations. Furthermore, governments should encourage policies such as mobility management programmes, urban redevelopment and privatisation to enhance better transportation systems and infrastructure to continuously reduce CO2e from the food trade.Originality/valueAlthough logistics play a major role in CO2 emissions, all logistics CO2 emissions for other countries are not included in the ONS data. This research reveals some important insights into the UK food supply chains. Logistics and other food supply chain processes of importing countries significantly contribute to CO2 emissions which are yet to be considered in the UK food SCs.

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“…Scientific evidence suggests that global climate change poses a great risk to human society, and Earth's climate has recently changed rapidly, largely due to the rapid increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in recent decades . Therefore, an increasing number of people are urging for the development and adoption of effective measures to reduce global GHG emissions . In response to the international demand for a drastic reduction in GHG emissions, China has promised that carbon emissions will peak by approximately 2030.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[1][2][3] Therefore, an increasing number of people are urging for the development and adoption of effective measures to reduce global GHG emissions. 4,5 In response to the international demand for a drastic reduction in GHG emissions, China has promised that carbon emissions will peak by approximately 2030. Moreover, China has promised to strive for a peak as soon as possible, with the goal of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product falling 60-65% from the levels in 2005.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing the carbon footprint per unit of economic benefit is a new method to accomplish low‐carbon agriculture. A case study: adjustment of the planting structure in Zhangbei County, China

Wang

Zhang

2019

J Sci Food Agric

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BACKGROUND The development of low‐carbon agriculture is promising for mitigating climate change. This study used adjustments to the planting structure in Zhangbei County, China, as an example to evaluate whether the carbon footprint per unit of economic benefit is a suitable indicator of low‐carbon agriculture and to determine if low‐carbon agriculture is not necessarily low‐input non‐intensive agriculture. RESULTS The results showed that total greenhouse gas emissions increased; therefore, the adjustments to the planting structure were ostensibly not a low‐carbon process. However, if we obtain the same economic benefit as the actual distribution of the planting industry by adopting the scenario of planting only grain crops, then the annual greenhouse gas emissions would be 1608.00 × 103 t CO2eq, and 5769.94 × 103 ha of farmland would be required. However, if we adopt the scenario of planting only vegetable crops, then only 82.52 × 103 ha of farmland would be required, and the annual greenhouse gas emissions would be 323.52 × 103 t CO2eq. CONCLUSIONS These results indicated that the carbon footprint per unit of economic benefit is a suitable indicator to assess agricultural sustainability and that intensive agriculture with high input and high output is a form of low‐carbon agriculture if the carbon footprint per unit of economic benefit is low. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

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Carbon footprint of organic beef meat from farm to fork: a case study of short supply chain

Cited by 37 publications

References 15 publications

Examination of Short Supply Chains Based on Circular Economy and Sustainability Aspects

Examination of Short Supply Chains Based on Circular Economy and Sustainability Aspects

Key factors of carbon footprint in the UK food supply chains: a new perspective of life cycle assessment

Reducing the carbon footprint per unit of economic benefit is a new method to accomplish low‐carbon agriculture. A case study: adjustment of the planting structure in Zhangbei County, China

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