An assessment of individual foodprints attributed to diets and food waste in the United States
This paper assesses the environmental impacts of the average American’s diet and food loss and waste (FLW) habits through an analysis of energy, water, land, and fertilizer requirements (inputs) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (outputs). We synthesized existing datasets to determine the ramificat...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2017-01-01
|
| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa8494 |
| _version_ | 1797748157889642496 |
|---|---|
| author | Catherine I Birney Katy F Franklin F Todd Davidson Michael E Webber |
| author_facet | Catherine I Birney Katy F Franklin F Todd Davidson Michael E Webber |
| author_sort | Catherine I Birney |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper assesses the environmental impacts of the average American’s diet and food loss and waste (FLW) habits through an analysis of energy, water, land, and fertilizer requirements (inputs) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (outputs). We synthesized existing datasets to determine the ramifications of the typical American adult’s food habits, as well as the environmental impact associated with shifting diets to meet the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guideline recommendations. In 2010, FLW accounted for 35% of energy use, 34% of blue water use, 34% of GHG emissions, 31% of land use, and 35% of fertilizer use related to an individual’s food-related resource consumption, i.e. their foodprint . A shift in consumption towards a healthier diet, combined with meeting the USDA and Environmental Protection Agency’s 2030 food loss and waste reduction goal could increase per capita food related energy use 12%, decrease blue water consumption 4%, decrease green water use 23%, decrease GHG emissions from food production 11%, decrease GHG emissions from landfills 20%, decrease land use 32%, and increase fertilizer use 12%. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:01:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b8da7c28ceab4a3798f803b637ff7404 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:01:55Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-b8da7c28ceab4a3798f803b637ff74042023-08-09T14:36:47ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262017-01-01121010500810.1088/1748-9326/aa8494An assessment of individual foodprints attributed to diets and food waste in the United StatesCatherine I Birney0Katy F Franklin1F Todd Davidson2Michael E Webber3The University of Texas at Austin , Cockrell School of Engineering, 204 East Dean Keeton, Stop C2200, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed.Sustainable America , PO Box 172, Fairfield, CT 06824, United States of AmericaThe University of Texas at Austin , Cockrell School of Engineering, 204 East Dean Keeton, Stop C2200, Austin, TX 78712, United States of AmericaThe University of Texas at Austin , Cockrell School of Engineering, 204 East Dean Keeton, Stop C2200, Austin, TX 78712, United States of AmericaThis paper assesses the environmental impacts of the average American’s diet and food loss and waste (FLW) habits through an analysis of energy, water, land, and fertilizer requirements (inputs) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (outputs). We synthesized existing datasets to determine the ramifications of the typical American adult’s food habits, as well as the environmental impact associated with shifting diets to meet the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guideline recommendations. In 2010, FLW accounted for 35% of energy use, 34% of blue water use, 34% of GHG emissions, 31% of land use, and 35% of fertilizer use related to an individual’s food-related resource consumption, i.e. their foodprint . A shift in consumption towards a healthier diet, combined with meeting the USDA and Environmental Protection Agency’s 2030 food loss and waste reduction goal could increase per capita food related energy use 12%, decrease blue water consumption 4%, decrease green water use 23%, decrease GHG emissions from food production 11%, decrease GHG emissions from landfills 20%, decrease land use 32%, and increase fertilizer use 12%.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa8494food wasteenergywatergreenhouse gas emissionsfoodprintfood |
| spellingShingle | Catherine I Birney Katy F Franklin F Todd Davidson Michael E Webber An assessment of individual foodprints attributed to diets and food waste in the United States Environmental Research Letters food waste energy water greenhouse gas emissions foodprint food |
| title | An assessment of individual foodprints attributed to diets and food waste in the United States |
| title_full | An assessment of individual foodprints attributed to diets and food waste in the United States |
| title_fullStr | An assessment of individual foodprints attributed to diets and food waste in the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | An assessment of individual foodprints attributed to diets and food waste in the United States |
| title_short | An assessment of individual foodprints attributed to diets and food waste in the United States |
| title_sort | assessment of individual foodprints attributed to diets and food waste in the united states |
| topic | food waste energy water greenhouse gas emissions foodprint food |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa8494 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT catherineibirney anassessmentofindividualfoodprintsattributedtodietsandfoodwasteintheunitedstates AT katyffranklin anassessmentofindividualfoodprintsattributedtodietsandfoodwasteintheunitedstates AT ftodddavidson anassessmentofindividualfoodprintsattributedtodietsandfoodwasteintheunitedstates AT michaelewebber anassessmentofindividualfoodprintsattributedtodietsandfoodwasteintheunitedstates AT catherineibirney assessmentofindividualfoodprintsattributedtodietsandfoodwasteintheunitedstates AT katyffranklin assessmentofindividualfoodprintsattributedtodietsandfoodwasteintheunitedstates AT ftodddavidson assessmentofindividualfoodprintsattributedtodietsandfoodwasteintheunitedstates AT michaelewebber assessmentofindividualfoodprintsattributedtodietsandfoodwasteintheunitedstates |