Greenhouse gas reduction through optimal breeding policy and diet configuration targeting via Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis

Abstract

Carbon emission neutralisation is the future target in many countries. Many sectors including the breeding industry, are contributing to achieve this target. Carbon emissions can be reduced by adjusting breeding and dietary structures. This study develops a Food-Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis tool for diet configuration optimisation to target possible greenhouse gas reduction. Several scenarios with different aims are considered to adjust the diet configuration in China and Zhejiang province. Results show that from the perspective of nutrition, replacing meat with equal protein mass of fish is more reasonable. 8.42 kg fish consumption should be increased, and 10.16 kg poultry and livestock meat consumption should be reduced annual per capita to reduce 10% food-carbon emission in Zhejiang province. For China as a whole, 9.88 Mt of poultry and livestock meat consumption should be reduced to achieve the 10% reduction target. If the reduced meat consumption is fully borne by the domestic breeding industry, the income of the domestic breeding industry would be reduced by 202,724 M CNY. It is recommended to reduce meat consumption by reducing meat imports and to increase the breeding and consumption of low-carbon fish rather than shellfish because of its extremely low carbon emission factor.