A resource-based phosphorus footprint for urban diets
Large amounts of phosphorus resources, such as mineral fertilizers and manure, are mobilized globally to produce the food consumed in cities. Accounting for the use of these resources can allow cities to plan for interventions that reduce related pressures in their hinterlands, conserve resources, a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac07d6 |
| _version_ | 1797747673427607552 |
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| author | Anastasia Papangelou Edgar Towa Wouter M J Achten Erik Mathijs |
| author_facet | Anastasia Papangelou Edgar Towa Wouter M J Achten Erik Mathijs |
| author_sort | Anastasia Papangelou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Large amounts of phosphorus resources, such as mineral fertilizers and manure, are mobilized globally to produce the food consumed in cities. Accounting for the use of these resources can allow cities to plan for interventions that reduce related pressures in their hinterlands, conserve resources, and lead to more circular food systems. In this study we calculate a resource-based phosphorus footprint for the food consumption in Brussels Capital Region and use it to compare different strategies towards increased circularity: waste reuse, waste reduction, dietary changes and shifts to locally produced food. The P footprint of an average inhabitant in Brussels is 7.7 kgP cap yr ^−1 , 10 times higher than the physical P consumption of 0.7 kgP cap yr ^−1 . About 60% of the total P inputs into food production are through manure, and the rest through mineral fertilizers; almost 80% of the inputs occur outside Belgium. Most of these inputs are related to the cultivation of feed for livestock, which is why a shift to vegetarian and vegan diets can reduce the footprint down to 4.8 kgP cap yr ^−1 and 0.9 kgP cap yr ^−1 . To the contrary, consuming only food produced in Belgium would increase the footprint to 12 kgP cap yr ^−1 , mostly as a result of the high manure use in the north of the country. A reduction in the P footprint signifies an absolute reduce in total resource use that can alleviate pressures in the hinterland and promote a city’s transition towards circularity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:53:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e27e0bfa331413c8e63a3a175c2ac90 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:53:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e27e0bfa331413c8e63a3a175c2ac902023-08-09T15:01:25ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262021-01-0116707500210.1088/1748-9326/ac07d6A resource-based phosphorus footprint for urban dietsAnastasia Papangelou0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4096-8190Edgar Towa1Wouter M J Achten2Erik Mathijs3Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven) , Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, BelgiumInstitute for Environmental Management and Land-use Planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) , Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumInstitute for Environmental Management and Land-use Planning (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) , Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven) , Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, BelgiumLarge amounts of phosphorus resources, such as mineral fertilizers and manure, are mobilized globally to produce the food consumed in cities. Accounting for the use of these resources can allow cities to plan for interventions that reduce related pressures in their hinterlands, conserve resources, and lead to more circular food systems. In this study we calculate a resource-based phosphorus footprint for the food consumption in Brussels Capital Region and use it to compare different strategies towards increased circularity: waste reuse, waste reduction, dietary changes and shifts to locally produced food. The P footprint of an average inhabitant in Brussels is 7.7 kgP cap yr ^−1 , 10 times higher than the physical P consumption of 0.7 kgP cap yr ^−1 . About 60% of the total P inputs into food production are through manure, and the rest through mineral fertilizers; almost 80% of the inputs occur outside Belgium. Most of these inputs are related to the cultivation of feed for livestock, which is why a shift to vegetarian and vegan diets can reduce the footprint down to 4.8 kgP cap yr ^−1 and 0.9 kgP cap yr ^−1 . To the contrary, consuming only food produced in Belgium would increase the footprint to 12 kgP cap yr ^−1 , mostly as a result of the high manure use in the north of the country. A reduction in the P footprint signifies an absolute reduce in total resource use that can alleviate pressures in the hinterland and promote a city’s transition towards circularity.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac07d6circular economynutrientsfooddietagriculturemanure |
| spellingShingle | Anastasia Papangelou Edgar Towa Wouter M J Achten Erik Mathijs A resource-based phosphorus footprint for urban diets Environmental Research Letters circular economy nutrients food diet agriculture manure |
| title | A resource-based phosphorus footprint for urban diets |
| title_full | A resource-based phosphorus footprint for urban diets |
| title_fullStr | A resource-based phosphorus footprint for urban diets |
| title_full_unstemmed | A resource-based phosphorus footprint for urban diets |
| title_short | A resource-based phosphorus footprint for urban diets |
| title_sort | resource based phosphorus footprint for urban diets |
| topic | circular economy nutrients food diet agriculture manure |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac07d6 |
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