CML-IE
Environmental Impacts of Food and
Agriculture
World Preservation Foundation Event
“Leaders Preserving our Future”
3 november 2010, London
Ester van der Voet
CML, Leiden University
WPF short-lived non-CO2 climate forcers
3 november 2010
CML-IE
Contents
•
UNEP Resource Panel: “Assessing the Environmental
impacts of Production and Consumption” (Hertwich et
al., 2010)
•
Contribution of agriculture/food to greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions and other impacts is significant
Options to reduce difficult to realise
Diet change is most effective, and with least sideeffects
•
•
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3 november 2010
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Contribution of agriculture to GHGemissions
•
•
•
Agriculture especially relevant for non-CO2 GHG
emissions
• CH4 (methane) from cattle and rice fields:
1 kg CH4 = 25 kg CO2-eq
• N2O (laughing gas) from soils:
1 kg N2O = 298 kg CO2-eq
Associated with CO2 emissions as well: energy input
in agricultural chain, esp. via fertiliser
Other environmental impacts, especially land and
water use
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Contribution of agriculture to GHGemissions
Consumption categories
(excluding LUC; source: UNEP, 2010)
Trade
Service 7%
9%
Shelter
26%
Mobility
20%
Manuf.
Products
Clothing
7%
4%
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Food
27%
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Contribution of agriculture to
environmental impacts
Materials
(source: UNEP
2010)
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Contribution of agriculture to GHGemissions
Agricultural products (source: Ecoinvent, 2004)
GHG emissions of agricultural products
9,00E+00
8,00E+00
kg CO2-eq / kg
7,00E+00
6,00E+00
5,00E+00
4,00E+00
3,00E+00
2,00E+00
1,00E+00
0,00E+00
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3 november 2010
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Contribution of agriculture to GHGemissions
Agricultural products (FAO, 2005 and Ecoinvent, 2004)
Consumption of agricultural product groups, world 2005
2,00E+06
1,80E+06
1,60E+06
1,40E+06
1,00E+06
8,00E+05
GHG emissions of agricultural product groups, 2005
6,00E+05
1,00E+12
4,00E+05
9,00E+11
2,00E+05
8,00E+11
0,00E+00
cereals
vegetables and
fruit
oil crops
meat
fish
dairy
7,00E+11
6,00E+11
kg CO2-eq / y
kg * 10^6
1,20E+06
5,00E+11
4,00E+11
3,00E+11
2,00E+11
1,00E+11
0,00E+00
cereals
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vegetables and
fruit
oil crops
meat
3 november 2010
fish
dairy
CML-IE
Share of animal products
Destination of produced cereals, world (FAO, 2005)
Feed
37%
Food
46%
Other
8%
Seed
3%
Processing
6%
crop-to-animal product ratio: 10 kg/kg
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Share of animal products
Consumption of meat, world, 1961 – 2007 (source: FAO)
Worldwide meat consumption, 1961 - 2007
3,00E+08
2,50E+08
tonnes
2,00E+08
1,50E+08
1,00E+08
5,00E+07
0,00E+00
1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006
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3 november 2010
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Contribution of agriculture to GHGemissions
•
Agriculture large contributor to global
environmental impacts …
• … including, but not limited to, GHG emissions
• Important and increasing share of animal products
•
To some extent, inevitable
• We have to eat
• Agriculture exceptional sector in many ways
•
Options:
• Lower input
• Increase efficiency
• Change diet
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3 november 2010
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Options to change diets
•
Differences between regions (source: FAO, 2010)
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Could animal consumption be
reduced?
•
Wide variety in meat consumption within regions
(source: Odegard, from FAO, 2010)
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3 november 2010
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Conclusions
•
•
•
•
•
Agriculture / food significant contributor to
environmental impacts
Animal products important share
Meat consumption increasing
Wide variety in meat consumption between and
within regions
Substantial environmental benefits from diet changes
WPF short-lived non-CO2 climate forcers
3 november 2010
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Changing diets
GHG emissions of meals (based on Ecoinvent, 2004)
Normalised global warming per menu
8,00E-14
7,00E-14
eggs
milk
fish
poultry meat
pig meat
bovine meat
fruit
vegetables
soybean
rape seed
pulses
potatoes
wheat
fraction of world problem
6,00E-14
5,00E-14
4,00E-14
3,00E-14
2,00E-14
1,00E-14
0,00E+00
Greek
Chicken
potatoes
with
with salmon potatoes in
and
the oven
vegetables
Spanish
ham with
pasta
Broad bean
à la
Romana
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Soup of
haricot
bean
Omelet with
potatoes
and
vegetables
impacts per menu
Main dish
Pizza
Cannelloni
salade with napolitana with ragout
pasta and
of nuts
tomatoes
Vegetable
curry with
potatoes
and eggs
3 november 2010
CML-IE
Agriculture exceptional sector
GHG emissions vs expenditure (source: UNEP, 2010)
1
Construction
Shelter
Food
Clothing
Manufactured products
Mobility
2
ton CO e per capita
10
0
10
-1
10
-2
10
1
2
ton CO e per capita
10
0
10
-1
10
-2
10
2
10
Service
1
Trade
4
10
Expenditure ($ per capita)
2
ton CO e per capita
10
0
10
-1
10
-2
10
2
10
4
10
Expenditure ($ per capita)
2
10
4
10
Expenditure ($ per capita)
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OECD NW
East Asia
Europe
South Asia
South America
Middle East/North Africa
Sub-saharan Africa
RoW
3 november 2010