HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH SEARCH RESULT		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 89/5/1704S    most recent ajcn.2009.26736AAv1 Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Carlsson-Kanyama, A. Articles by González, A. D Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Carlsson-Kanyama, A. Articles by González, A. D Agricola Articles by Carlsson-Kanyama, A. Articles by González, A. D

Potential contributions of food consumption patterns to climate change^1,2,3,4

¹ From the Division of Industrial Ecology, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden (AC-K), and the Research Institute on Biodiversity and Environment (Inibioma-Conicet), Bariloche, Argentina (ADG).

² Presented at the symposium, "Fifth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition," held in Loma Linda, CA, March 4–6, 2008.

³ Supported by the Swedish Research Council Formas as part of the information project, "Urban households and consumption related resource use: Developing a tool for environmental menu planning." Important contributions also were made by Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Conicet), Buenos Aires, Argentina.

⁴ Reprints not available. Address correspondence to A Carlsson-Kanyama, Division of Industrial Ecology, Royal Institute of Technology, SE 100 44, Stockholm, Sweden. E-mail: annika{at}carlsson-kanyama.se.

Anthropogenic warming is caused mainly by emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, with agriculture as a main contributor for the latter 2 gases. Other parts of the food system contribute carbon dioxide emissions that emanate from the use of fossil fuels in transportation, processing, retailing, storage, and preparation. Food items differ substantially when GHG emissions are calculated from farm to table. A recent study of 20 items sold in Sweden showed a span of 0.4 to 30 kg CO₂ equivalents/kg edible product. For protein-rich food, such as legumes, meat, fish, cheese, and eggs, the difference is a factor of 30 with the lowest emissions per kilogram for legumes, poultry, and eggs and the highest for beef, cheese, and pork. Large emissions for ruminants are explained mainly by methane emissions from enteric fermentation. For vegetables and fruits, emissions usually are 2.5 kg CO₂ equivalents/kg product, even if there is a high degree of processing and substantial transportation. Products transported by plane are an exception because emissions may be as large as for certain meats. Emissions from foods rich in carbohydrates, such as potatoes, pasta, and wheat, are <1.1 kg/kg edible food. We suggest that changes in the diet toward more plant-based foods, toward meat from animals with little enteric fermentation, and toward foods processed in an energy-efficient manner offer an interesting and little explored area for mitigating climate change.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Rajaram and J. Sabate Preface Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1541S - 1542S. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. R Jacobs Jr, M. D Gross, and L. C Tapsell Food synergy: an operational concept for understanding nutrition Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1543S - 1548S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. J Key, P. N Appleby, E. A Spencer, R. C Travis, A. W Roddam, and N. E Allen Cancer incidence in vegetarians: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford) Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1620S - 1626S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. J Craig Health effects of vegan diets Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1627S - 1633S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. R Jacobs Jr, E. H Haddad, A. J. Lanou, and M. J Messina Food, plant food, and vegetarian diets in the US dietary guidelines: conclusions of an expert panel Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1549S - 1552S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W Lampe Interindividual differences in response to plant-based diets: implications for cancer risk Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1553S - 1557S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. J Key, P. N Appleby, E. A Spencer, R. C Travis, A. W Roddam, and N. E Allen Mortality in British vegetarians: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford) Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1613S - 1619S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A Simon, Y.-H. Chen, and S. Bent The relation of {alpha}-linolenic acid to the risk of prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1558S - 1564S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Newby Plant foods and plant-based diets: protective against childhood obesity? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1572S - 1587S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Mangat Do vegetarians have to eat fish for optimal cardiovascular protection? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1597S - 1601S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. E Fraser Vegetarian diets: what do we know of their effects on common chronic diseases? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1607S - 1612S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M Weaver Should dairy be recommended as part of a healthy vegetarian diet? Point Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1634S - 1637S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. Lanou Should dairy be recommended as part of a healthy vegetarian diet? Counterpoint Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1638S - 1642S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Sabate and Y. Ang Nuts and health outcomes: new epidemiologic evidence Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1643S - 1648S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Ros Nuts and novel biomarkers of cardiovascular disease Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1649S - 1656S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. P Pierce, L. Natarajan, B. J Caan, S. W Flatt, S. Kealey, E. B Gold, R. A Hajek, V. A Newman, C. L Rock, M. Pu, et al. Dietary change and reduced breast cancer events among women without hot flashes after treatment of early-stage breast cancer: subgroup analysis of the Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1565S - 1571S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. D Barnard, J. Cohen, D. J. Jenkins, G. Turner-McGrievy, L. Gloede, A. Green, and H. Ferdowsian A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-wk clinical trial Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1588S - 1596S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. M Willis, B. Shukitt-Hale, and J. A Joseph Modulation of cognition and behavior in aged animals: role for antioxidant- and essential fatty acid-rich plant foods Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1602S - 1606S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Rajaram, E. H. Haddad, A. Mejia, and J. Sabate Walnuts and fatty fish influence different serum lipid fractions in normal to mildly hyperlipidemic individuals: a randomized controlled study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1657S - 1663S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Messina and A. H Wu Perspectives on the soy-breast cancer relation Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1673S - 1679S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Chan, K. Jaceldo-Siegl, and G. E Fraser Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status of vegetarians, partial vegetarians, and nonvegetarians: the Adventist Health Study-2 Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1686S - 1692S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. J Marlow, W. K Hayes, S. Soret, R. L Carter, E. R Schwab, and J. Sabate Diet and the environment: does what you eat matter? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1699S - 1703S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Eshel and P. A Martin Geophysics and nutritional science: toward a novel, unified paradigm Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1710S - 1716S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W Lampe Is equol the key to the efficacy of soy foods? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1664S - 1667S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. M Badger, J. M Gilchrist, R T. Pivik, A. Andres, K. Shankar, J.-R. Chen, and M. J Ronis The health implications of soy infant formula Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1668S - 1672S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Lonnerdal Soybean ferritin: implications for iron status of vegetarians Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1680S - 1685S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Elmadfa and I. Singer Vitamin B-12 and homocysteine status among vegetarians: a global perspective Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1693S - 1698S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]