Abstract

Applying specific circularity interventions to the food system may have environmental benefits. Using an iterative linear food system optimisation model (FOODSOM), we assess how changes in human diets, imports and exports, and the utilisation of waste streams impact land use and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). After including these circularity principles, land use and GHG emissions were on average 40% and 68% lower than in the current food system, primarily driven by a reduction in production volumes and a shift towards feeding the domestic population. Shifting from the current diet to a circular diet decreased land use with 43% and GHG emissions with 52%. Allowing up to half of each nutrient in the human diet to be imported, while balancing imports with equal exports in terms of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, also decreased land use (up to 34%) and GHG emissions (up to 26%) compared to no imported food. Our findings show that circularity interventions should not be implemented mutually exclusively; by combining a circular diet with imported food and fully utilising waste streams, the lowest land use and GHG emissions can be realised.

Keywords

Circular food systems; Dietary change; FOODSOM; GHG emissions; Land use

Published in

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2024, Volume: 53, number: 3, pages: 359-375
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

• van Ittersum, Martin

  • Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Wageningen University and Research

UKÄ Subject classification

Other Environmental Engineering
Environmental Sciences


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01953-x

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/128440