Ecological Footprint | PIM MARTENS

Our food consumption patterns play a major role in determining both human and planetary health. A substantial body of evidence has shown that the current worldwide food consumption is not only contributing to 19–29% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but is also responsible for using 37% of the Earth’s landmass.

Furthermore, worldwide rising income and urbanization have contributed to the dietary transition from plant-based products to more animal-based diets, and the category of “meat and meat products” contributes most to the environmental footprint in many parts of the world. The situation is expected to get worse as more populations are experiencing dietary transition, resulting in asymmetrical environmental degradation around the world.

Our study highlighted the importance to better understand the effects of geographical location and related food cultures for reducing the dietary environmental impacts. The present study also indicated that meat was the main source of the dietary environmental footprint in contemporary China, while the over-consumption of meat is severe for all groups of Chinese people.

Reversing this trend in China and other countries, and increasing the consumption of foods that are consistently associated with low environmental impacts, would undoubtedly have multiple environmental benefits. Hence, more interventions that seek to change people’s food consumption behaviors are specifically needed. This will require a better understanding of how individuals’ dietary behaviors are influenced by the interaction effect of economic conditions and dietary cultures within which individuals are embedded, not only in China but also in other countries with diverse food cultures.

Read the full paper here: Su, B., Zhang, C., Martens, P. & Cao, X. (2023). How economic and geographical indicators affect dietary environmental footprint: Evidence from China. Ecological Indicators, Volume 148, April 2023, 110075, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110075

Food consumption is increasingly impacting the environment. Our results for China, together with previous findings, demonstrate that dietary patterns could contribute directly and significantly to the dietary Ecological Foot Print (EFP), and animal-based diets have greater environmental consequences in terms of land use than plant-based diets.

This study highlights again the dominant role of meat consumption, especially pork and seafood, in dietary patterns, suggesting that China has entered an era dominated by animal-based products. India, as another fast-developing country with the second-largest population, however, did not consume much meat, fish, or eggs. This resulted in a relatively lower environmental footprint for Indian people than for Chinese people. Although dietary choice is a personal matter, owing to the increasing environmental concern, individuals are motivated to change their dietary patterns. A transition to eating less meat would therefore reduce the negative environmental impacts. However, rising incomes and urbanization are driving a global dietary transition in which traditional diets are replaced by diets higher in refined fats and meats. This trend is especially significant in developing countries like China, Nigeria, India, Indonesia, and Mexico.

In light of the generally continually increasing income, diversity dietary cultures, and dietary transitions, the impacts on environmental resources of meat consumption will be severe. Hence, incentives should focus on improving people’s awareness of sustainable dietary patterns.

Read the full paper here: Su, B., Zhang, C., Martens, P. & Cao, X. (2022). A comparative study on the dietary ecological footprint in contemporary China. Science of the Total Environment, 851 (2), 158289.

PIM MARTENS

Category Archives: Ecological Footprint

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