Methodological choices drive differences in environmentally-friendly dietary solutions

Frehner, Anita; Müller, Adrian; Schader, Christian; Boer, I.J.M. de; Zanten, H.H.E. van

doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2019.100333

Cited by 15 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The economic value of a product, however, does not reflect their (un)suitability for direct human consumption, while feeding humans is the assumed aim of a circular food system (van Zanten et al, 2016b). This results in mitigation strategies that counteract the resource use efficiency of the food system (Frehner et al, 2020;van Zanten et al, 2016b).…”

Section: Feed-food Competition In Supply Chain Environmental Impact Amentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This approach does not account for interlinkages between the numerous supply chains the food system entails, and thereby overlooks consequences of their recommended mitigation strategies on the food system as a whole. LCA studies directed at reducing the environmental impact of ASF or human diets, therefore, often propose mitigation strategies that counteract the resource use efficiency of the food system as a whole, effectively moving us away from circularity (Frehner et al, 2020;. A prominent example of such mitigation strategies is reducing impacts per kg ASF by lowering the feed conversion ratio (FCR: kg feed needed per kg ASF) through, for example, breeding strategies (Herrero et al, 2016).…”

Section: Supply Chain Environmental Impact Assessment For Circularitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…sunflower oil and meal) based on their relative economic value, which does not reflect their suitability for human consumption (de Vries & de Boer, 2010). While the findings of LCA studies with such economic allocation remain valuable, as they illustrate the current impact of value chains, they will lead towards a circular food system (Frehner et al, 2020). In Chapter 5, I illustrate this controversy and initiate the development of a new supply chain environmental impact assessment that is suited to the circularity paradigm .…”

Section: Supply Chain Environmental Impact Assessment For Circularitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…LCA, thereby, does not consider that the numerous supply chains that form our food system are interconnected, and that changes in one chain likely triggers changes in others. Due to their supply chain approach, studies under both the production and consumption paradigm, often promote mitigation strategies that counteract the resource use efficiency of the food system as a whole, as will be demonstrated in Section 2.2 (Frehner et al, 2020;van Zanten et al, 2016b). In response, researchers increasingly proposed a shift to the circularity paradigm that uses a food systems approach to account for the consequences of changes in our food system (Garnett, 2011;Schader et al, 2015;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In response, researchers increasingly proposed a shift to the circularity paradigm that uses a food systems approach to account for the consequences of changes in our food system (Garnett, 2011;Schader et al, 2015;. Studies under this paradigm indicate that efficient use of resources requires changes in both production and consumption, and highlight that animals have a valuable role in upcycling biomass unsuitable for human consumption into food and other ecosystem services (Frehner et al, 2020;. Typically, such studies encourage a more circular food system -as aspired by the EU (EuropeanCommission, 2015) -where the resource use efficiency of the food system as a whole is central (Ghisellini et al, 2016;Jurgilevich et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Upcycling biomass in a circular food system : The role of livestock and fish

Hal¹

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A more circular food system is increasingly proposed to address the challenge of feeding a growing world population while limiting environmental impacts and resource use. A circular food system prioritises resources for direct food supply to avoid feed-food competition. The role of animals is to upcycle resources unsuitable or undesired for human consumption, so called low-opportunity-cost feeds (LCF) into animal-source food. This thesis evaluates the potential of various animals in upcycling LCF in a circular food system by applying an optimisation model that allocates available LCF to that combination of animals that maximise the supply of human digestible protein (HDP) to a EU-28 case study. We first explored the potential of common livestock species in the EU (e.g. pigs, laying hens, broilers, dairy cattle and beef cattle) under various productivity levels. Optimal use of LCF required livestock systems that had a high conversion efficiency (laying hens, dairy cattle), were best able to valorise specific LCF (dairy cattle for grass; pigs for food waste) and could valorise low quality LCF due to their low productivity. When, in addition, considering fishcurrently the only natural source of the essential eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) ω-3 fatty acids-while demanding EPA/DHA requirements are met, fish provide nutritious food via both capture fisheries and fish farming. Even if capture fisheries rebuilds stocks and prioritises edible fish for human consumption, it can only fulfil 40% of EPA/DHA requirements. The farmed fatty fish needed to meet these requirements depend on fisheries by-products to meet their EPA/DHA requirements and livestock slaughter by-products to meet their high fat and protein requirements. A circular food system thus requires a combination of co-dependent animal production systems, tailored to the available LCF and the desired nutrient output. As the availability of food leftovers as LCF is currently restricted by legislation and other barriers, we explored the potential of food leftovers currently not used as LCF. Potential to increase animal protein intake was highest for, currently banned, household waste (+12%) and livestock byproducts (+18%) that are allowed in fish feed but currently not used and appear essential to meet human requirements of EPA/DHA ω-3 fatty acids in a circular food system. Improved use and legalisation of inevitable food leftovers can improve the resource use efficiency of both current and future circular food systems. When allowing all LCF in a circular food system, livestock and fish provide an HDP intake up to 39 g per capita per day, less than current animal protein supply but meeting 65% of total protein requirements. A circular food system, thus, requires a reduction in ASF consumption, and a change in the type of ASF we consume, where fish and milk become more prominent. While the used food systems approach illustrates the potential of animal production in a circular food system, it provides little direction to farmers in achieving sustainab...

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Section: Feed-food Competition In Supply Chain Environmental Impact Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Supply Chain Environmental Impact Assessment For Circularitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Supply Chain Environmental Impact Assessment For Circularitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Upcycling biomass in a circular food system : The role of livestock and fish

Hal¹

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Sustainable and healthy diets: Synergies and trade‐offs in Switzerland

2020

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Food systems have increasingly strong impacts on the environment, and they influence our human well‐being. In Switzerland, food consumption accounts for one‐third of the environmental impact caused by total final consumption. At the same time, non‐communicable diseases have been linked to a number of dietary aspects. In Switzerland, all non‐communicable diseases together are responsible for 80% of total public health care costs annually. Current assessments that link environmental sustainability and human health‐oriented diets for Switzerland lack a transparent representation of the dynamic effects caused by large‐scale conversions of the food system. In this study, therefore, a system dynamics model is employed to investigate intended and unintended changes on the food system structure and on environmental impacts. Several human health‐oriented scenarios are implemented and tested with different production‐ and consumption‐side intervention strategies. Because all scenarios assuming an increase in the consumption of plant‐based products also involve higher consumption of dairy products, consequences for bovine meat need to be considered. The biological link between milk and bovine meat production leads to an unintended increase in bovine meat production as milk production increases. Intervention strategies at the consumption level thus need to be accompanied by intervention strategies at the agricultural production level. Similarly, intervention strategies that aim at improving health outcomes at the production level need to be accompanied by strategies that affect diets and thus consumption preferences. Avoiding instances of policy resistance requires integrated policy design and implementation across agriculture, the environment and human health. This integration is a challenge for farmers, the food industry and consumers alike.

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Kapitel 2. Auswirkungen der Landnutzung und -bewirtschaftung sowie naturnaher Ökosysteme auf den Klimawandel: Biophysikalische Effekte, Treibhausgasemissionen und Kohlenstoffspeicher

Gingrich,

Weiss,

Wenzel

et al. 2024

APCC Special Report: Landnutzung Und Klimawandel in Österreich

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ZusammenfassungKap. 2 beschreibt die Auswirkungen der Landnutzung und -bewirtschaftung auf den Klimawandel und bezieht nicht bewirtschaftete Ökosysteme explizit mit ein. Das zentrale Instrument für die Bilanzierung der Auswirkungen der österreichischen Landnutzung auf den Klimawandel ist die Treibhausgasinventur (THG-Inventur), die jährlich basierend auf international akkordierten Methoden erfasst und publiziert wird. Neben der Präsentation und Diskussion der Ergebnisse der THG-Inventur für die beiden Sektoren Landwirtschaft sowie Landnutzung, Landnutzungswechsel und Forstwirtschaft (LULUCF; beide Sektoren zusammen auch als AFOLU, für Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use, abgekürzt) werden in weiteren Abschnitten andere Aspekte, die zum Verständnis der Klimawirksamkeit von Landnutzung und Landbewirtschaftung auf den Klimawandel beitragen, vorgestellt.

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Methodological choices drive differences in environmentally-friendly dietary solutions

Cited by 15 publications

References 24 publications

Upcycling biomass in a circular food system : The role of livestock and fish

Upcycling biomass in a circular food system : The role of livestock and fish

Sustainable and healthy diets: Synergies and trade‐offs in Switzerland

Kapitel 2. Auswirkungen der Landnutzung und -bewirtschaftung sowie naturnaher Ökosysteme auf den Klimawandel: Biophysikalische Effekte, Treibhausgasemissionen und Kohlenstoffspeicher

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