A comparative study on carbon footprints between plant- and animal-based foods in China

A comprehensive continental-scale analysis of carbon footprint of food production: Comparing continents around the world

Agriculture and land use are major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but previous estimates were either highly aggregate or provided spatial details for subsectors obtained via different methodologies. Using a model-data integration approach that ensures full consistency between subsectors, we provide spatially explicit estimates of production- and consumption-based GHG emissions worldwide from plant- and animal-based human food in circa 2010. Global GHG emissions from the production of food were found to be 17,318 ± 1,675 TgCO2eq yr-1, of which 57% corresponds to the production of animal-based food (including livestock feed), 29% to plant-based foods and 14% to other utilizations. Farmland management and land-use change represented major shares of total emissions (38% and 29%, respectively), whereas rice and beef were the largest contributing plant- and animal-based commodities (12% and 25%, respectively), and South and Southeast Asia and South America were the largest emitters of production-based GHGs.

Energy and carbon footprints of food: Investigating the effect of cooking

Carbon footprint of a typical pomelo production region in China based on farm survey data

Identifying a sustainable rice-based cropping system via on-farm evaluation of grain yield, carbon sequestration capacity and carbon footprints in Central China

Simple SummaryMinimizing the effects of climate change by reducing GHG emissions is crucial and can be accomplished by truly understanding the carbon footprint phenomenon. This study aims to improve the understanding of carbon footprint alteration due to agricultural management and fertility practices. It provides a detailed review of carbon footprint management under the impacts of environmental factors, land use, and agricultural practices. The results show that healthy soils have numerous benefits for the general public and especially farmers. These benefits include being stable and resilient, resistant to erosion, easily workable in cultivated systems, good habitat for soil micro-organisms, fertile and good structure, large carbon sinks, and hence lower carbon footprint. Intensive tillage is harmful to soil structure by oxidizing carbon and causing GHG emissions. If possible, no-till; if not, minimum tillage frequency and depth of tillage, and optimum moisture are recommended. The soil should be at an appropriate level of moisture when tillage takes place. Diverse cropping systems are better for the soil than monocultures. Minimizing machinery operations can help to avoid soil compaction. Building soil organic carbon in the most stable form is the most efficient practice of sustainable crop production.Global attention to climate change issues, especially air temperature changes, has drastically increased over the last half-century. Along with population growth, greater surface temperature, and higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, there are growing concerns for ecosystem sustainability and other human existence on earth. The contribution of agriculture to GHG emissions indicates a level of 18% of total GHGs, mainly from carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Thus, minimizing the effects of climate change by reducing GHG emissions is crucial and can be accomplished by truly understanding the carbon footprint (CF) phenomenon. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to improve understanding of CF alteration due to agricultural management and fertility practices. CF is a popular concept in agro-environmental sciences due to its role in the environmental impact assessments related to alternative solutions and global climate change. Soil moisture content, soil temperature, porosity, and water-filled pore space are some of the soil properties directly related to GHG emissions. These properties raise the role of soil structure and soil health in the CF approach. These properties and GHG emissions are also affected by different land-use changes, soil types, and agricultural management practices. Soil management practices globally have the potential to alter atmospheric GHG emissions. Therefore, the relations between photosynthesis and GHG emissions as impacted by agricultural management practices, especially focusing on soil and related systems, must be considered. We conclude that environmental factors, land use, and agricultural practices should be considered in the management of CF when maximizing crop productivity.

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 基于生命周期评价的上海市水稻生产的碳足迹 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201304240794 作者: 作者单位: 上海市农业科学院,上海市农业科学院,上海市农业科学院,上海市农业科学院,江西农业大学 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家科技部支撑计划后世博专项资助项目（2010BAK69B18）；上海市科委崇明科技攻关专项资助项目（10DZ1960101） Life cycle assessment of carbon footprint for rice production in Shanghai Author: Affiliation: Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Seed management station of Shanghai,,,Jiangxi Agricultural University Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:碳足迹是指由企业、组织或个人引起的碳排放的集合。参照PAS2050规范并结合生命周期评价方法对上海市水稻生产进行了碳足迹评估。结果表明：（1）目前上海市水稻生产的碳排放为11.8114 t CO2e/hm2，折合每吨水稻生产周期的碳足迹为1.2321 t CO2e；（2）稻田温室气体排放是水稻生产最主要的碳排放源，每吨水稻生产的总排放量为0.9507 t CO2e，占水稻生产全部碳排放的77.1%，其中甲烷（CH4）又是最主要的温室气体，对稻田温室气体碳排放的贡献率高达96.6%；（3）化学肥料的施用是第二大碳排放源，每吨水稻生产的总排放量为0.2044 t CO2e，占水稻生产总碳排放的16.5%，其中N最高，排放量为0.1159 t CO2e。因此，上海低碳水稻生产的关键在降低稻田甲烷的排放，另外可通过提高氮肥利用效率，减少氮肥施用等方法减少种植过程中碳排放。 Abstract:Global climate change has become an urgent issue of concern. Climate change will increasingly threaten our food production, security and even the survival of the human race. It also has a serious impact on natural ecosystems and the socioeconomic system. With the increasing scale and improvement in mechanization levels, the economic linkage between agricultural production and reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions is even closer in the agricultural production system. Therefore, the development of a low-carbon agricultural model is one of the long-term strategies for low-carbon economic growth throughout the country.This research of carbon footprint is introduced to measure the GHG emission over the rice production cycle. The carbon footprint can be defined as the total carbon emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person. At present, carbon footprints are used to measure GHG emissions in products, services, organizations, cities and countries and offer the decision basis for the formulation of GHG emission reduction schemes.Agricultural ecological systems, every year, also produce a lot of GHG emissions. The whole process of prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum agricultural production are closely related to energy consumption and GHG emission. In the process, all the agricultural inputs, such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, cultivation, plant protection, agricultural machinery, irrigation and harvest also produce greenhouse gas emissions.The whole cultivation of rice involves methane (CH4) emission. This study shows that rice cultivation is one of the biggest sources of GHG emissions in crop cultivation. Rice paddies emit a large amount of methane in their water logged mode. Different irrigation modes have a great influence on the emission of GHG. Straw return is another factor that promotes GHG emissions. Soil organic content increases with the return of straw, with an increase in the soil methanogen activity, leading to increased methane emissions.The current carbon footprint research is the first time it has been used to measure the carbon emissions involved in rice production. The carbon footprint for rice production in Shanghai was assessed by the PAS2050 paradigm and life cycle assessment. The study area, located in Changjiang Farm, which belongs to the Guangming Group in Chongming County Shanghai City atlatitude 121°32'22' E, longitude31°40'23' N. Chongming County, in the Yangtze River Estuary, is a typical sub tropical monsoon climate with mild climate, abundant rainfall, annual average temperatures of 15.3 ℃, and annual precipitation of 1245 mm. It is the major grain production base for Shanghai city with winter wheat and summer rice forming their main planting patterns, which are typical for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River rice-wheat rotation cropping pattern.The entire carbon emission of rice production in Shanghai was 11.8114 t CO2e (CO2-equivalents)/hm2, corresponding to a 1.2321 t CO2e/t rice grain yield. GHG emissions from paddy fields were the major source, which emitted 0.9507 t CO2e/t rice and accounted for 77.1% of total carbon emissions during rice production. Moreover, CH4 was the largest source for GHG emissions with a contribution rate of 96.6%.Chemical fertilizers were the second largest emission source in rice production. Chemical fertilizers emitted 0.2044 t CO2e for each ton of rice production, contributing 16.5% of total carbon emissions in rice production. N fertilizer was the biggest emission source, which released 0.1159 t CO2e/t rice.This research investigates the GHG emissions over the whole process of the Shanghai rice production cycle and reveals the energy consumption and GHG emissions in rice production. Thus, a rice carbon footprint is calculated by assessing the GHG emissions in Shanghai rice production. The results are beneficial for producing reduction plans of reducing GHG emissions in Shanghai rice production. Furthermore, the results will supply both practicable and theoretical foundations for drafting carbon footprint formulations in other industrial areas. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

The aim of this study was to determine the environmental impact, nutrient intake, appreciation and tastiness of three buffet-style lunches served at the workplace, consisting of (1) animal-based foods; (2) plant-based foods; and (3) both animal-based and plant-based foods. Employees of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands participated in the study. Participants scored the lunch for appreciation and tastiness (scores from 1 to 10). Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land use associated with foods consumed were calculated using life cycle assessments. Nutrient intake was calculated using food composition data. The results show that both the plant-based and the combination lunch received higher scores for tastiness than the animal-based lunch. GHG emissions and land use were lowest for the plant-based lunch and highest for the animal-based lunch. The combination lunch was associated with increased fiber and decreased saturated fat intake compared to the animal-based lunch, but also lead to increased energy intake. The plant-based lunch did not increase energy intake, while increasing fiber intake and decreasing sodium (salt) and saturated fat intakes. These initial results show that plant-based lunches have the potential to improve nutrient intake and tastiness while reducing environmental impact. Additional research in this field is worthwhile.

The food system is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions, and the carbon footprint analysis of food consumption under the dual carbon background is of great significance for the sustainable development of the food system. To reveal the differences in food consumption patterns and carbon footprints between urban and rural residents in China, the life cycle carbon emission coefficient method was used to measure the direct carbon emissions of food consumption by urban and rural residents in China from 2000 to 2021. From the perspective of carbon footprint composition, the following main conclusions were drawn： ① The structure of food consumption among residents in China shifted from predominantly plant-based to a balanced consumption of both plant- and animal-based foods, reducing the disparity in various food consumption quantities between urban and rural residents. ② The per capita carbon footprint from food consumption among Chinese residents exhibited an overall increasing trend from 2000 to 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 1.4%. Grain consumption contributed the most to the carbon footprint （22.2%）. ③ Currently, urban residents in China demonstrate significantly higher food consumption carbon footprints compared to those of rural residents, and this trend is continuously rising. In urban areas, the carbon footprint of plant-based foods was increasing at a higher rate than that of animal-based foods, while the opposite trend was observed in rural areas. ④ Factors such as per capita disposable income, per capita GDP, Engel coefficient, population structure, and various food consumption carbon footprints, as well as per capita food consumption carbon footprints, exhibited significant correlations. Here, we conducted a comprehensive study on the eating habits of urban and rural residents in China, along with the carbon emissions associated with their food consumption, which offer valuable insights that can guide sustainable food consumption practices among Chinese residents and contribute to the achievement of carbon neutrality in the food industry.

Carbon footprint and land requirement for dairy herd rations: impacts of feed production practices and regional climate variations

Animal production is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One of the major challenges in sustainable management is to mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing GHG emissions. The diversity of animal production systems and accompanying diversification of technological processes, mean that specific production effects can be obtained at different levels of GHG emissions. The aim of the study was to determine the carbon footprint (CF) of beef cattle grown in a conventional system (i.e. indoor confinement). The research was carried out on the beef cattle farm belonging to a large-area enterprise, Długie Stare Ltd. The beef cattle production system consisted of the following subsystems: a basic breeding herd (consisting of suckler cows, replacement heifers and calves up to 6.5 months), breeding heifers, breeding bulls and fattening bulls. The method of life cycle analysis (LCA) in the stages from "cradle-to-farmgate" was used to assess the GHG emissions associated with the production of beef cattle. The average CF in the entire beef cattle production system was 25.43 kg of CO2 kg-1 of live weight of marketed cattle, while in the individual subsystems of basic breeding herd, breeding heifers, breeding bulls and fattening bulls, the CF (after GHG allocation) was: 11.0 kg CO2 eq., 34.30 kg CO2 eq., 27.32 and 25.40 kg CO2 eq., respectively. GHG emissions associated with young calves staying in the cow-calf pairs until weaning (in the period from 0-6.5 months), had a decisive influence on the final CF in each of the subsystems of beef cattle production. The second important factor directly affecting the CF was GHG emissions related to methane (CH4) enteric fermentation and manure management. Knowledge of factors affecting the CF structure allows better identification of critical areas in production processes with high GHG emission potential. Information on the CF of beef cattle and beef meat responds to a wider societal demand for the ecological characteristics of market products, which ultimately contributes to improving their market competitiveness.

Decreased carbon footprint and increased grain yield under ridge–furrow plastic film mulch with ditch-buried straw returning: A sustainable option for spring maize production in China

Straw returning usually gives rise to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the soil, and thus negatively affects carbon footprint (CF) of crop production. Numerous studies reported the effects of straw returning on the CF from single crop production. However, little is known about the integrated effects of different levels of straw returning on the CF and net ecosystem economic benefits (NEEB) from rice-wheat rotation. Here, we investigated the effects of different amounts of straw returning on soil CH4 and N2O emissions, GHG emissions from agricultural inputs (AIGHG), CF, and NEEB from a 2-year cycle of rice-wheat rotation. The CF was determined based on the total GHG emissions associated with crop production inputs and services. Overall, straw returning significantly increased annual CH4 emissions by 5.4-72.2% and reduced annual N2O emissions by 3.3-31.4% compared with straw removal. Straw returning remarkably increased rice grain yields by 8.1-9.9% and wheat grain yields by 10.2-21.1% compared with straw removal. The average annual AIGHG from rice-wheat rotation ranged from 3579 to 4987 kg CO2-eq ha-1. Diesel consumption played a dominant role in the AIGHG. The annual CF ranged from 0.96 to 1.31 kg CO2-eq kg-1 and increased with increasing straw returning amounts. The NEEB, which ranged from 14161 to 17413 CNY ha-1, was significantly affected by the levels of straw returning. The treatment with returning of 1/3 of preceding crop straw to the field (2.19-2.47 kg ha-1 year-1 of rice straw in the wheat season and 1.38-1.68 kg ha-1 year-1 of wheat straw in the rice season) resulted in relatively higher grain yield, the lowest CF, and the highest NEEB among all treatments, and thus can reduce CF, and increase grain yields and NEEB, and thus can be recommended as a sustainable approach to mitigate GHG emissions and increase economic benefits from rice-wheat rotation.

The Earth’s climate is rapidly changing largely due to increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Agricultural practices during crop production, food processing, and product marketing all generate GHG, contributing to the global climate change. The general public and farmers are urging the development and adoption of effective measures to reduce GHG emissions from all agricultural activities and sectors. However, quantitative information is not available in regard to what strategies and practices should be adopted to reduce emission from agriculture and how crop productivity would affect the intensity of GHG emission. To provide the potential solution, we estimated the carbon footprint [i.e., the total amount of GHG associated with the production and distribution of a given food product expressed in carbon dioxide equivalence (CO2e)] for some of the major field crops grown on the Canadian prairie and assessed the effect of crop sequences on the carbon footprint of durum wheat. Key strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of various field crops grown in semiarid areas were identified. Carbon footprints were estimated using emissions from (1) the decomposition of crop straw and roots; (2) the manufacture of N and P fertilizers and their rates of application; (3) the production of herbicides and fungicides; and (4) miscellaneous farm field operations. Production and application of N fertilizers accounted for 57% to 65% of the total footprint, those from crop residue decomposition 16% to 30%, and the remaining portion of the footprint included CO2e from the production of P fertilizer and pesticides, and from miscellaneous field operations. Crops grown in the Brown soil zone had the lowest carbon footprint, averaging 0.46 kg CO2e kg−1 of grain, whereas crops grown in the Black soil zone had a larger average carbon footprint of 0.83 kg CO2e kg−1 of grain. The average carbon footprint for crops grown in the Dark Brown soil zone was intermediate to the other two at 0.61 kg CO2e kg−1 of grain. One kilogram of grain product emitted 0.80 kg CO2e for canola (Brassica napus L.), 0.59 for mustard (Brassica juncea L.) and flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), 0.46 for spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and 0.20 to 0.33 kg CO2e for chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), dry pea (Pisum sativum L.), and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.). Durum wheat (T. aestivum L.) preceded by an N-fixing crop (i.e., pulses) emitted total greenhouse gases of 673 kg CO2e, 20% lower than when the crop was preceded by a cereal crop. Similarly, durum wheat preceded by an oilseed emitted 744 kg CO2e, 11% lower than when preceded by a cereal. The carbon footprint for durum grown after a pulse was 0.25 kg CO2e per kg of the grain and 0.28 kg CO2e per kg of the grain when grown after an oilseed: a reduction in the carbon footprint of 24% to 32% than when grown after a cereal. The average carbon footprint can be lowered by as much as 24% for crops grown in the Black, 28% in the Dark Brown, and 37% in the Brown soil zones, through improved agronomic practices, increased N use efficiency, use of diversified cropping systems, adoption of crop cultivars with high harvest index, and the use of soil bioresources such as P-solublizers and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in crop production.

Aktualnie ważnym wyzwaniem dla sektora rolniczego jest redukcja emisji gazów cieplarnianych (GHG) w celu złagodzenia skutków zmian klimatycznych. Istnieje potrzeba dokładnej identyfikacji źródeł emisji oraz upowszechnienia praktyk rolniczych, które przyczyniałyby się do zmniejszenia emisji we wszystkich ogniwach produkcji roślinnej. Do przeprowadzenia obiektywnych porównań i wyboru najlepszych rozwiązań technologicznych według kryterium emisyjności potrzebna jest szczegółowa ocena ilościowa emisji GHG. W opracowaniu przedstawiono ocenę emisji GHG w produkcji roślinnej za pomocą śladu węglowego (CF). Udział operacji technologicznych w powstawaniu CF scharakteryzowano na przykładzie rzepaku ozimego. Wyniki badań wskazują, że największe znaczenie w kształtowaniu CF ma proces nawożenia mineralnego. Wpływ pozostałych procesów na CF jest wielokrotnie mniejszy. Miejscem głównych emisji GHG w nawożeniu mineralnym rzepaku są emisje bezpośrednie i pośrednie GHG z pól. Po emisjach GHG z pól, produkcja nawozów stanowi drugie źródło emisji z nawożenia. Zmiany praktyk rolniczych polegających na zwiększeniu efektywności nawożenia azotowego oraz stosowaniu nawozów o niskich współczynnikach emisji stwarzają obecnie możliwość redukcji emisji GHG i przez to, tym samym mogą przyczynić się do zmniejszenia CF produktów roślinnych.