The climatic impact of food consumption in a representative sample of Irish adults and implications for food and nutrition policy

Abstract

To evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) associated with the diet of Irish adults. GHGE were estimated by applying conversion factors to habitual food consumption data taken from the National Adult Nutrition Survey, which was representative of the population. Descriptive analyses were undertaken for GHGE for the total population, as well as accounting for energy misreporting and across categories of sociodemographic and socio-economic factors and tertiles of emissions. Republic of Ireland. Adults aged 18–87 years (n 1500). The GHGE derived from daily dietary intakes was estimated as 6·5 kg of CO2 equivalents (CO2eq) per person. Males, younger consumers, those with secondary education and student employment status were associated with significantly higher GHGE. Red meat was the highest contributor to GHGE with 1646 g CO2eq arising from a mean intake of 47 g/d. Dairy and starchy staples were the next largest dietary GHGE sources, with mean daily emissions of 732 g CO2eq and 647 g CO2eq, respectively. The lowest emissions were associated with consumption of vegetables, fruits and legumes/pulses/nuts. Based on profiling using actual food consumption data, it is evident that one single measure is not sufficient and a range of evidence-based mitigation measures with potential to lower emissions throughout the food chain should be considered. The research contributes towards an improved understanding of the climatic impact of the dietary intakes of Irish adults and can serve to inform a sustainability framework to guide action in food and nutrition policy development

Dietary emissions patterns and their effect on the overall climatic impact of food consumption

“…Extensive detail on the methodology used to derive GHGE, and the aggregation of food groups has been previously described by Hyland et al . (). All foods consumed were assigned to one of sixty‐seven food groups.…”

“…Previous research has shown the dietary carbon footprint of Irish adults to be 6.5 kg CO 2 eq day −1 (Hyland et al ., ). However, average daily dietary emissions do not reflect the diversity of GHGE patterns across a population.…”

“…Individual food choices have the potential to substantially influence both public health and the environment (Payne et al ., ). The contribution of food consumption towards anthropogenic climate change has received increasing attention in recent years (Joyce et al ., ; Hyland et al ., ) and is responsible for as much as 30% of EU greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) (Tukker & Jansen, ).…”

Which Diet Has the Least Environmental Impact on Our Planet? A Systematic Review of Vegan, Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diets

“…One study indicates that, despite the likelihood that more consumers of vegetarian diets will lead to reduced GHGEs, this outcome is not guaranteed. For instance, substituting cheese for chicken in a diet could result in higher aggregate GHGE production if the energy and nutrient content is not considered and production of the vegetarian substitute is associated with higher GHGEs [26]. Other important factors are transportation (especially long-distance), deep-freezing, and some specific horticultural practices, all of which can lead to higher environmental damage than locally produced organic meat [22].…”

Alimentação e mudanças climáticas: percepções e o potencial de mudanças comportamentais em prol da mitigação

“…Alguns estudos observaram que dietas com base em frutas e vegetais têm baixa emissão de GEE, assim como dietas ricas em itens com alto teor de açúcares (Hyland et al, 2016), e que, em alguns casos, o consumo de processados pode emitir menos GEE caso as frutas e vegetais tenham que ser produzidos em estufas, sejam exóticos, transportados entre locais distantes ou com necessidade de armazenamento por longos períodos após a colheita (Carlsson-Kanyama & Gonzalez, 2009;Hoolohan et al, 2013). Além de trocas na dieta visando menor emissão de GEE, devem ser objetivadas estratégias mais amplas no sentido de dietas sustentáveis.…”