Overall impact of the 40 most produced foods on the environment: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:16, 2 July 2019

Getting to know the actual impact of food on the environment is tricky business. Indeed, depending on the source^[1], the farming system at play in the research^[2] or the parameters investigated in the study, the overall results may vary tremendously. Furthermore, the “impact on the environment” cannot, in any way, be restricted to CO2 emissions^[3]. Water scarcity, the degradation of the soils^[4] or the destruction of ecosystems^[5] are to be considered also in relation to the CO2 emissions, as well as the impact of the food chain (farm, packaging, transport, retail) on the overall environmental print of the production of food stuffs.

This task is indeed tremendous, easily biased and forever evoluting. The spreadsheet below is thus here published to allow us, as consumers and eager responsible citizens, to take a first step towards the understanding of the complex “environmental impact” of various foods. We will here be able compare the overall CO2 emissions, the land use, the acidification, the eutrophisation as well as the water scarcity impacted by the 40 most produced foods in the world. As we will witness, a small CO2 print does not necessarily mean “good for the environment” as the heavy use of water and the deep acidification of the soil may for instance be off the charts for a low CO2 print product.

References & details

These numbers are gathered from the largest database to date of the kind: 40,000 farms, across 119 countries. This comparative spreadsheet is based on 2 documents included in the research study titled “Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers” published by J. Poore^[6] and T. Nemecek^[7] in February 2019 (first publication June 1st 2018) in the american magazine Science.

🔍📄Click link to read PDF article
🔍📄Click link to have a look at the graph
🔍📄Click link to download precise spreadsheet

Comparing the data

OVERALL IMPACT OF THE 40 MOST PRODUCED FOODS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Protein rich products (for a 100g protein)		GHG emissions (kg CO₂ equivalent^[8])	Land use (m² year)	Acidification^[9] (kg SO2eq.^[10])	Eutrophisation^[11] (g PO2eq.)	Use of water (kL equivalent)
	Beef (meat) 🥩	50	164	0,189	0,177	871
	Lamb & Mutton 🐑	20	185	0,087	0,060	1082
	Beef (dairy) 🥛	17	22	0,209	0,209	1650
	Crustaceans^[12] 🦐	18	2	0,060	0,098	1394
	Cheese 🧀	11	41	0,149	0,089	4735
	Pig meat 🐖	7,6	11	0,083	0,044	1073
	Fish^[13] 🐟	6,0	3.7	0,025	0,092	1315
	Poultry meat 🐓	5,7	7,1	0,064	0,030	402
	Eggs 🥚	4,2	5,7	0,052	0,021	556
	Tofu 🌱	2,0	2,2	0,006	0,006	139
	Groundnuts^[14] 🥜	1,2	3,5	0,018	0,011	1431
	Other legumes 🌱	0,8	7,3	0,019	0,015	364
	Peas 🌱	0,4	3,4	0,008	0,007	353
	Nuts 🌰	0,3	7,9	0,019	0,009	1914
Milks (for a 1L )	Cow Milk 🥛	3,2	8.9	0,149	0,089	628
	Rice milk 🥛	1,2	0,3			270
	Soy milk 🥛	1,0	0,7	0,003	0,001	26
	Oat milk 🥛	0,9	0,8			48
	Almond milk 🥛	0,7	0,5			371
Starch-rich products (for a 1000 kCAL)	Manioc / Yucca 🍠	1,4	1,9	0,003	0,001	0
	Rice (flooded) 🌾	1,2	0,8	0,024	0,030	1962
	Oatmeal 🌾	0,9	2,9	0,007	0,007	302
	Potatoes 🥔	0,6	1,2	0,003	0,003	43
	Wheat & rye 🍞	0,6	1,4	0,012	0,007	567
	Corn (flour) 🌽	0,4	0,7	0,007	0,002	120
Oils (for 1L)	Palm oil: 🌴	7,3	2,4	0,018	0,011	7
	Soybean oil: 🌱	6,3	11	,016	,011	418
	Olive oil: 🌱	5,4	26	,041	,040	2322
	Rapeseed oil: 🌼	3,8	11	0,029	0,019	234
	Sunflower oil: 🌻	3,6	18	,027	,051	943
Vegetables (for 1Kg)	Tomatoes 🍅	2,1	0,8	0,011	0,005	235
	Brassicas 🥦	0,5	0,6	0,007	0,004	97
	Onions & leeks 🌿	0,5	0,4	0,003	0,002	11
	Root vegetables 🥕	0,4	0,3	0,003	0,001	23
Fruits (for 1Kg)	Berries 🍓	1,5	2,4	0,010	0,005	292
	Bananas 🍌	0,9	1,9	0,005	0,002	86
	Apples 🍏	0,4	0,6	0,003	0,001	140
	Citrus 🍋	0,4	0,9	0,003	0,002	65
Sugars (for 1Kg)	Cane sugar 🎍	3,2	2,0	0,015	0,014	492
Sugars (for 1Kg)	Beet sugar 🌱	1,8	1,8	0,011	0,004	170
Alcoholic beverages (for 1 unit^[15])	Beer (5%) 🍺	0,24	0,22	0,006	0,002	15
Alcoholic beverages (for 1 unit^[15])	Wine (12.5%) 🍷	0,14	0,14	0,011	0,004	68
Stimulants (for 1 serving)	Dark chocolat (50g) 🍫	2,3	3,4	0,017	0,031	209
Stimulants (for 1 serving)	Coffee (15g) ☕	0,4	0,3	0,046	0,060	14

Notes

↑ Depending on the various ties that the researchers or institute funding their research may have with the industry which can have a tremendous impact on the numbers so to say.
↑ The research may, more than often, exclusively focus on the american farming industry and its leaders, not taking into account small scale, alternative farming, or legislation at play in Europe or other parts of the world.
↑ For instance, the worldwide production of cow dairy produces 3x less CO2 in a year than cow meat production. However, it calls on the use of 2 times the amount of water as well as having a stronger negative impact on the soil (see numbers above).
↑ Food production creates ~32% of global terrestrial acidification and ~78% of eutrophication.
↑ e.g deforestation, destruction of “submarine forests” such as coral reefs and algae, annihilation of insect and animal species
↑ Zoologist from the School of Geography & Environment, The Queen's College& University of Oxford
↑ Agroecology and Environment specialist, Zurich, Switzerland
↑ Including methane for instance
↑ The acidity of a soil is defined by its hydrogen potential (pH). Below a certain threshold (~ 6 on the pH scale), the soil is too acidic for most cultivated plants: it limits biological activity (fertility) and its structure is degraded. Indeed, acidity influences the uptake of nutrients and trace elements by a plant, as well as the presence of deep roots or earthworms that structure and aerate the soil.
↑ soils or waters (ex: ocean acidification due to fish and crustacean water farming)
↑ Excessive intake of nutrients into the water, resulting in overgrowth, oxygen depletion and ecosystem imbalance. e.g. nitrogen + phosphorus
↑ 🦐 farmed)
↑ 🐟 farmed
↑ 🥜 mainly peanuts
↑ 10ml of 100% alcohol

[1] Depending on the various ties that the researchers or institute funding their research may have with the industry which can have a tremendous impact on the numbers so to say.

[2] The research may, more than often, exclusively focus on the american farming industry and its leaders, not taking into account small scale, alternative farming, or legislation at play in Europe or other parts of the world.

[3] For instance, the worldwide production of cow dairy produces 3x less CO2 in a year than cow meat production. However, it calls on the use of 2 times the amount of water as well as having a stronger negative impact on the soil (see numbers above).

[4] Food production creates ~32% of global terrestrial acidification and ~78% of eutrophication.

[5] .g deforestation, destruction of “submarine forests” such as coral reefs and algae, annihilation of insect and animal species

[6] Zoologist from the School of Geography & Environment, The Queen's College& University of Oxford

[7] Agroecology and Environment specialist, Zurich, Switzerland

[8] Including methane for instance

[9] The acidity of a soil is defined by its hydrogen potential (pH). Below a certain threshold (~ 6 on the pH scale), the soil is too acidic for most cultivated plants: it limits biological activity (fertility) and its structure is degraded. Indeed, acidity influences the uptake of nutrients and trace elements by a plant, as well as the presence of deep roots or earthworms that structure and aerate the soil.

[10] soils or waters (ex: ocean acidification due to fish and crustacean water farming)

[11] Excessive intake of nutrients into the water, resulting in overgrowth, oxygen depletion and ecosystem imbalance. e.g. nitrogen + phosphorus

[12] 🦐 farmed)

[13] 🐟 farmed

[14] 🥜 mainly peanuts

[15] 10ml of 100% alcohol

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-== Comparing the data ==
+Getting to know the actual impact of food on the environment is tricky business. Indeed, depending on the source<ref>Depending on the various ties that the researchers or institute funding their research may have with the industry which can have a tremendous impact on the numbers so to say.</ref>, the farming system at play in the research<ref>The research may, more than often, exclusively focus on the american farming industry and its leaders, not taking into account small scale, alternative farming, or legislation at play in Europe or other parts of the world.</ref> or the parameters investigated in the study, the overall results may vary tremendously. Furthermore, the “impact on the environment” cannot, in any way, be restricted to CO2 emissions<ref>For instance, the worldwide production of cow dairy produces 3x less CO2 in a year than cow meat production. However, it calls on the use of 2 times the amount of water as well as having a stronger negative impact on the soil (see numbers above).</ref>. Water scarcity, the degradation of the soils<ref>Food production creates ~32% of global terrestrial acidification and ~78% of eutrophication.</ref> or the destruction of ecosystems<ref>e.g deforestation, destruction of “submarine forests” such as coral reefs and algae, annihilation of insect and animal species</ref> are to be considered also in relation  to the CO2 emissions, as well as the impact of the food chain (farm, packaging, transport, retail) on the overall environmental print of the production of food stuffs.
+This task is indeed tremendous, easily biased and forever evoluting. The spreadsheet below is thus here published to allow us, as consumers and eager responsible citizens, to take a first step towards the understanding of the complex “environmental impact” of various foods. We will here be able compare the overall CO2 emissions, the land use, the acidification, the eutrophisation as well as the water scarcity impacted by the 40 most produced foods in the world. As we will witness, a small CO2 print does not necessarily mean “good for the environment” as the heavy use of water and the deep acidification of the soil may for instance be off the charts for a low CO2 print product.
+== References & details ==
+These numbers are gathered from the largest database to date of the kind: 40,000 farms, across 119 countries.
+This comparative spreadsheet is based on 2 documents included in the research study titled “[https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987/ Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers]” published by J. Poore<ref>Zoologist from the School of Geography & Environment, The Queen's College& University of Oxford</ref> and T. Nemecek<ref>Agroecology and Environment specialist, Zurich, Switzerland</ref> in February 2019 (first publication June 1st 2018) in the american magazine <i>[https://www.sciencemag.org/ Science]</i>.
+🔍📄[https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987/tab-pdf/ Click link to read PDF article]<br>
+🔍📄[https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Estimated-global-variation-in-GHG-emissions-land-use-terrestrial-acidification_fig3_325532198/ Click link to have a look at the graph]<br>
+🔍📄[https://science.sciencemag.org/highwire/filestream/710905/field_highwire_adjunct_files/3/aaq0216_DataS2.xls/ Click link to download precise spreadsheet]
-It is always relatively
-Hereunder you will find a spreadsheet
+== Comparing the data ==
 {| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;”
@@ Line 332: / Line 341: @@
 | style="text-align:right;" | 14
 |}
-== References & details ==
-This comparative spreadsheet is based on 2 documents included in the research study titled “[https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987/ Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers]” published by J. Poore<ref>Zoologist from the School of Geography & Environment, The Queen's College& University of Oxford</ref> and T. Nemecek<ref>Agroecology and Environment specialist, Zurich, Switzerland</ref> in February 2019 (first publication June 1st 2018) in the american magazine <i>[https://www.sciencemag.org/ Science]</i>.
-🔍📄[https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987/tab-pdf/ Click link to read PDF article]<br>
-🔍📄[https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Estimated-global-variation-in-GHG-emissions-land-use-terrestrial-acidification_fig3_325532198/ Click link to have a look at the graph]<br>
-🔍📄[https://science.sciencemag.org/highwire/filestream/710905/field_highwire_adjunct_files/3/aaq0216_DataS2.xls/ Click link to download precise spreadsheet]
 == Notes ==