Comparing environmental impacts of regional and national-scale food supply chains: A case study of processed tomatoes

Brodt, Sonja; Kramer, Klaas Jan; Kendall, Alissa; Feenstra, Gail

doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2013.07.004

Cited by 83 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Food production causes emissions of greenhouse gases at many stages between soil preparation and harvesting. Even from great distances, food transportation generally represents less than 15 % of the total energy used to produce food products (Brodt et al, 2013;Plawecki et al, 2013). Thus, transportation is only one aspect in the analysis of the pathway from agricultural production to the consumer's table.…”

Section: Food Milesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local food: benefits and failings due to modern agriculture

Coelho

Coelho²,

Egerer

2018

Sci. agric. (Piracicaba, Braz.)

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This paper aims to examine the issue raised by the consumption of locally produced food in all its various aspects, and in particular, addresses how this practice contributes to local and global sustainability. It analyzes the different definitions of local food, the strategies used, the implications of the distance traveled in the transportation of food to the consumer's table -food miles, the relationships between local food consumption and sustainability, farming practices that reduce carbon emissions, contribution of urban agriculture to local food, local trading of food produced by rural farmers, as well as a number of relationships between the consumption of local food and human nutrition and health, local food protection and the ability to support local food production for humanitarian actions in disaster situations. The promotion of "local food" is a complex problem covering environmental issues, the economy and health.Transportation is not the only factor that determines how efficient it is to consume local food. Often, the technologies used for agricultural production are those most responsible for the degree of sustainability in the production and supply of food to the population. Local production does not always mean lower emissions of greenhouse gases. In general, the consumption of local foods, produced in ways adapted to the local environment using technologies with an ecological basis, is something beneficial and salutary for the environment, economy and society in general.

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Section: Food Milesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local food: benefits and failings due to modern agriculture

Coelho

Coelho²,

Egerer

2018

Sci. agric. (Piracicaba, Braz.)

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“…Many studies have estimated the life-cycle impact of food products or diets on a single impact indicator which may conceal significant trade-offs between impacts and lead to inappropriate conclusions about the sustainability of particular foods or diets (Ridoutt et al, 2014;Brodt et al, 2013). In this study we consider both greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of changing food choices on the blue water scarcity footprint and greenhouse gas emissions of the British diet: the example of potato, pasta and rice

Hess

Chatterton

Daccache

et al. 2016

Journal of Cleaner Production

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a b s t r a c tFood production is a major contributor to a country's environmental burden. However, the burdens associated with individual foods vary significantly due to differing agricultural systems and locations, post-harvest storage, manufacturing and transport requirements. Dietary choices can therefore have a significant impact on the overall burdens associated with food consumption. Previous studies have generally considered changes in the proportion of animal-based foods in the diet or changes to a vegetarian, or a vegan diet. Using a life cycle assessment approach and data from published sources supplemented by original analysis, we estimated the blue water scarcity footprint and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production, manufacture and distribution of three popular starchy carbohydrate foods as consumed in the United Kingdom e British fresh potatoes, Italian dried pasta and Indian dried basmati rice. Although similar to pasta in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per unit carbohydrate, when considered on the basis of typical portion size, potatoes have lower greenhouse gas emissions than pasta or basmati and the blue water scarcity footprint of basmati is two orders of magnitude greater than potatoes or pasta. The increasing preference for pasta and rice and reduction in household purchases of fresh potatoes in the United Kingdom over the period 1981e2010 has resulted in an increase in blue water scarcity footprint and a transfer of burdens from the United Kingdom to Italy and India, however the increased greenhouse gas emissions associated with rice and pasta has been, more or less, compensated by a reduction in emissions associated with purchases of potatoes. This paper has shown that dietary choices within food groups (in this case starchy carbohydrates) have a significant impact on an individual's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and blue water scarcity footprint. The life cycle assessment approach is useful for understanding where the impacts of dietary choices occur and can inform the supply chain about where efforts should be targeted to reduce those impacts.

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“…Local (regional) versus longdistanced (imported) food supply chains studies have produced various results. Some have found that foods produced locally use less energy and produce fewer GHG emissions than the same products from long-distance sources [137,138]. Others have shown that location is especially important in the case of agriculturally derived products.…”

Section: Sustainable Food Production Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Others have shown that location is especially important in the case of agriculturally derived products. Brodt et al [137] found that California-produced (long-distanced) conventional and organic tomato paste and canned diced tomatoes are almost equivalent in energy use and GHG emissions to the Great Lake region (regionally) produced and consumed products. Long-distanced tomato production benefits from higher per hectare yields and soil amendments with lower carbon dioxide emissions, which substantially offset the added energy use and GHG emissions associated with longdistance shipment of products by rail.…”

Section: Sustainable Food Production Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%