Telecoupling through tomato trade: what consumers do not know about the tomato on their plate

Abstract

Non-technical abstract A large share of our food comes from international supply food chains that are difficult to trace. Therefore, consumers are not aware of their environmental and social effects. We analysed the tomato supply system for Germany. Tomatoes consumed in Germany are produced either in The Netherlands by Polish workers and using large amounts of energy, or in Spain by West African workers and depleting the aquifer. The analysis shows the long-distance effects of food consumption that should be considered when designing strategies for a sustainable global food system. Comparable results can be expected for other food products traded around the world.

Actions on sustainable food production and consumption for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework

“…However, an example of positive progress is seen in Scotland, which has developed a progressive Natural Capital Asset Index, which does not include monetary values but is composed in a way that reflects the relative contribution of natural habitats to human well-being ( 73 ). Work on natural capital accounting, up to now, may not take into account that food production and consumption at one location sometimes lead to impacts on the environment and people at distant locations ( 74 ).…”

Contributions of place-based social-ecological research to address global sustainability challenges

“…This themed collection identifies the specific challenges facing food systems and the opportunities that are presented for social-ecological sustainability. Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) provide evidence on telecoupled social-ecological dynamics that lead to the unsustainable and unjust realities of a hyper-connected global food system. By applying the telecoupling framework (Liu et al , 2013, 2015) to the tomato market in Europe, Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) show the hidden effects of tomato consumption in Germany (conceptualized as a receiving system) on the social, economic and ecological systems in Spain and The Netherlands (conceptualized as sending systems).…”

“…Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) provide evidence on telecoupled social-ecological dynamics that lead to the unsustainable and unjust realities of a hyper-connected global food system. By applying the telecoupling framework (Liu et al , 2013, 2015) to the tomato market in Europe, Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) show the hidden effects of tomato consumption in Germany (conceptualized as a receiving system) on the social, economic and ecological systems in Spain and The Netherlands (conceptualized as sending systems). The innovation of Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) is that it considers the migration of agricultural workers from Morocco, West Africa and Poland and their socioeconomic conditions.…”

“…By applying the telecoupling framework (Liu et al , 2013, 2015) to the tomato market in Europe, Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) show the hidden effects of tomato consumption in Germany (conceptualized as a receiving system) on the social, economic and ecological systems in Spain and The Netherlands (conceptualized as sending systems). The innovation of Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) is that it considers the migration of agricultural workers from Morocco, West Africa and Poland and their socioeconomic conditions. The authors discuss the unsustainable and unjust model of current global markets of food production where “[t]he implications of imported goods are usually not evident to the consumer, and the consumer does not face the direct consequences of their consumer choice.” The conclusion by Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) that the global food system is a major driver of unsustainability is precisely the justification of the study by Pereira et al (2019).…”

“…The innovation of Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) is that it considers the migration of agricultural workers from Morocco, West Africa and Poland and their socioeconomic conditions. The authors discuss the unsustainable and unjust model of current global markets of food production where “[t]he implications of imported goods are usually not evident to the consumer, and the consumer does not face the direct consequences of their consumer choice.” The conclusion by Ibarrola-Rivas et al (2020) that the global food system is a major driver of unsustainability is precisely the justification of the study by Pereira et al (2019). Using examples from South Africa and Mexico, Pereira et al (2019) argue that kitchens – the realm of cooks and chefs – can act as platforms for the transformation of unsustainable food systems.…”