FOOD and ENERGY:a sustainable approach
Massimo Iannetta - ENEADirector of the Unit “Sustainable Development and Innovation of the Agro-industrial System”
3‐5 NOVEMBER 2010 FAO HEADQUARTERS, ROME
ContentContent
• Demographic trends and food consumption
• Sustainability of the food chain
• Environmental impact
• Mitigation and Adaptation
• Possible answers by scientific research
ProblemProblem: Continuous growth, based on a linear consumption ofenergy and raw materials, on a planet that has limited resources. 1900 >1,6 billion people >1,3 billion hectars of arable land2000 >6,5 billion people >1,5 billion hectars of arable land2050 >9 billion people > +/‐ 1,5 billion hectars of arable land(abandonment / urbanizat.)ResourcesResources: Water (3.000 sqm/year/inhabitant of virtual water, hydric stress / penury), Soil (salinization: 20‐30 mil.ha/260 irrigated land), Forestry (Deforestation 13 mil.ha/year), Biodiversity (‐30%), Sea (Oceanic fisheries, 75% over carrying capacity), Air (Fossil fuels +70% CO2 in 30 years, 49 billion ton., largely over450 ppm).(Global Footprint Network)
DemographicDemographic trend: trend: living living beyondbeyond ourour meansmeans
EcologicEcologic footprintfootprint ofof the the PlanetPlanet : consumption/waste1961‐2001> Energy consumption +700%1961‐2008> Use of nature: from 55% to 140% of the biocapacity ofthe Planet2009> Overshoot Day 23th September, 266th day of the year (in 1986 on 31st December)
Energy and Energy and NaturalNatural resourcesresources ConsumptionConsumption levellevel> USA (5,4 Earths), Canada (4,2), UK (3,1), DE (2,5), IT (2,2), Arg(1,2), Emergentcountries, India (0,4)
FoodFood consuptionconsuption at global at global levellevel:: Reduction of the gap betweenmalnutrition (food security) and obesity (food safety)
(Global Footprint Network)
FoodFood consuptionconsuption
SustainabilitySustainability ofof the the foodfood chainchain
The sustainability of the food chain(Production, Production, TransformationTransformation, , DistributionDistribution, , ConsumptionConsumption) is to be experessed in termsof:
• Use of natural resources (water, soil and biodiversity / patents on living matter);
• Energy and contribution to the emission ofgreenhouse gases (CO2 eq.);
• Food choices of the consumers (healthy food/ Mediterranean diet / local consumption).
Agriculturesoilfeed
waterfertilizerspesticides
energy
Loss of soilPolluting
GreenhouseGases
emissionsWaste water
Organic waste
Domesticpreparation
waterenergy
refrigerationpackaging
Greenhousegases
PollutingemissionsFood andPackaging
waste
Distribution
energyrefrigeration
packagingfuel
GreenhouseGases
Pollutingemissions
Transport
fuelrefrigeration
GreenhouseGases
Pollutingemissions
Foodprocessing
water, energyadditives
refrigerationpackaging
Waste waterwaste
Greenhousegases
Pollutingemissions
SustainabilitySustainability ofof foodfood productsproducts::ResponsibilityResponsibility ofof the the wholewhole foodfood chainchain
OUTPUTOUTPUT
Energy Energy SourcesSources
Available data on global warming and on energyspecifically used to produce food differ depending on the setting being investigated.
The different estimates depend on the relative importance of the various energy sources.
‐In Sweden : EN 46.6%; EIdro 46.8%
‐ In Italy:Italy:
Energy Energy consumptionconsumption
An indicator of the unsustainability of the contemporary foodsystem is the Sustainability Index (SI)*
1910 (pre‐industrial societies) SI = 11970 SI = 10Today SI >100
e.g.: salad imported in UK by plane from USA: SI» 127Asparagus importated from Chile: SI » 97Carrots imported from South Africa SI » 66(Church, 2005)
*SI= Energy *SI= Energy requiredrequired toto produce the produce the foodfood / Energy / Energy contentcontent ofof the the foodfood
FoodFood MilesMiles
FoodFood milesmiles is another indicator that is being increasinglyadopted in UK (sevral supermarkets – Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s – provide labels for their products) and CarbonCarbon footprintfootprint labelslabels (e.g., Km0) are being taken to the attention of Italian mass‐media.
The transport of food is only one of the factors thatdetermine its global environmental impact.
How the food is produced and using what kind ofenergy should be taken into account.
Life Life CycleCycle AssessmentAssessment LCALCA
LCA LCA allowsallows toto::
evaluate and optimize the environmentalimpact of a product / process / activityalong its whole life cycle, from production of the raw material and ingredients totransformation, distribution, consumption and disposal of the residuals, including all movements.
A better strategy would be to examine the whole life cycle of the foodproducts by means of a Life‐Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the food supply chain, rather than considering only Food Miles.
Grave Analysis
EnvironmentalEnvironmental ImpactImpact
In Italy, the agro‐industry is responsible for about 18% of the total emission of greenhouse gases (details below)Source ISMEA 2009, Rapporto Agricarbon
104,00Total ***
19,8Transport
13,1Packaging
5,5Industrial processing
6,9Solid and liquid waste (Nitrous oxide** and Ammonia )
11,6Enteric fermentation (methane* from animal breeding)
47,1Production (fertilizers, plowing, use of water, etc.)
Mt CO2 eq.Agro-industrial chain
* Methane has a greenhouse effect 20 times that of CO2** Nitrous oxide has a greenhouse effect 300 times that of CO2*** An estimate of the contributions of consumption modalities and food waste during distribution is still missing.
12Fare clic per inserire il Titolo della presentazione
Human induced global environmental changes (GEC)
Human health
Social structures
Climate, Environment and territoryEconomy
Impa
cts
Impa
cts
Intrinsic vulnerability of ecosystems
Vulnerability inducedby the impact of GEC
Climate change is one of the most critical factors, in terms ofspeed and intensity, underlying the observed processes
Global Global EnvironmentalEnvironmental ChangesChanges (GEC)(GEC)
Fare clic per inserire il Titolo della presentazione
Scenarios for the Mediterranean
Increase of temperatures
Increase of extreme events
Increase of evaporation
Seasonal variation of precipitation and reduction in some areas
Unpredictable changes, beyond our experience
Climate change + Humanactivities
Coastal areasat risk
Hydrogeologicinstability
Desertification
Agricolturalcrisis
Loss ofbiodiversity
ImpactsImpacts
Impacts
Health
MitigationMitigation and and AdaptationAdaptation for Agriculture for Agriculture and Food Securityand Food Security
ClimateClimate changechange
Net Net greenhousegreenhouse gasgas
Land use changeLand use change
Water Water BiodiversityBiodiversity
Agriculture and Agriculture and forestryforestry
Food Food securitysecurity
ImpactsImpacts
AdaptationAdaptation MitigationMitigation
Theme issues around agriculture and climate change
AimAim at at reducingreducing risksrisks and and damagedamage UseUse scarcescarce resourcesresources more more efficientlyefficiently
ActAct bothboth on on naturalnatural systemssystems and on and on humanhuman activitiesactivities toto makemake ecosystemsecosystems ““climateclimate proofproof””
AnswersAnswers ofof scientificscientific researchresearch
There is no universal recipe that is valid for all problems, but we have some general guidelines. Among these:
‐‐ OptimizingOptimizing the the useuse ofof agriculturalagricultural inputsinputs ((PrecisionPrecision farmingfarming, Conservative , Conservative farmingfarming, , OrganicOrganic farmingfarming, etc.);, etc.);
‐‐ UsingUsing wastewaste, , residualsresiduals and and subsub‐‐productsproducts alongalong allall the the foodfood chainchain toto recoverrecoverenergyenergy, , chemicalschemicals and and nutraceuticalsnutraceuticals; ;
‐‐ InnovatingInnovating industrial processing and packaging; industrial processing and packaging;
‐‐ ImprovingImproving intermodalintermodal logisticslogistics forfor the the transporttransport ofof agroagro‐‐industrial industrial productsproducts; ;
‐‐ PromotingPromoting the the adoptionadoption ofof MediterraneanMediterranean dietdiet, , asas exampleexample ofof sustainablesustainable foodfoodproduction.production.
Life Life CycleCycle Energy Input (LCEI) and Global Energy Input (LCEI) and Global WarmingWarming PotentialPotential(GWP) (GWP) ofof severalseveral foodfood itemsitems
01020304050607080
FBC
FCM
RC
G
TOD
PSC B
RC
S
RP
OO BS E M
WM
Y
FLFP B
PAS
F/FJ
O
VTL
SSM
DLP
LCEI
(MJ/
Kg)
0,01
0,10
1,00
10,00
100,00FB
C
RC
G
FCM
TOD
PSC
DLP
RC
S
FLFP BS
PAS
OO
WM
Y E
SSM B M RP
VTL
F/FJ
O B
FOODSTUFF
GW
P (K
gCO
2e/K
g)
DLPDried legumes (Peas)SSMSemi-skimmed milkVTLVegetables (Tomatoes, lettuce)
F/FJOFruit or fruit juice (Orange)PASPasta
BBreadFLFPFresh legumes (Frozen peas)WMYWhole milk yogurt
MMargarineEEggs
BS2-4 biscuits (Shortbread)OOOlive oilRPRoast potatoes
RCSRoast chicken, skinlessBButter
PSCPork steak, cooked
TODTuna in oil, drainedRCGRipened cheese (Grana)FCMFresh cheese (Mozzarella)FBCFillet of beef, cooked
DLPDried legumes (Peas)SSMSemi-skimmed milkVTLVegetables (Tomatoes, lettuce)
F/FJOFruit or fruit juice (Orange)PASPasta
BBreadFLFPFresh legumes (Frozen peas)WMYWhole milk yogurt
MMargarineEEggs
BS2-4 biscuits (Shortbread)OOOlive oilRPRoast potatoes
RCSRoast chicken, skinlessBButter
PSCPork steak, cooked
TODTuna in oil, drainedRCGRipened cheese (Grana)FCMFresh cheese (Mozzarella)FBCFillet of beef, cooked
LCAfood.dk
MediterraneanMediterranean dietdiet: the : the doubledouble pyramidpyramid
Suggested consumption
Environmental impact
PRODUCTIONPRODUCTION
PROTECTIONPROTECTION
DIAGNOSTICDIAGNOSTICAUTOMATIONAUTOMATION
CONSERVATIONCONSERVATION
PROCESSINGPROCESSING
LOGISTICLOGISTIC
ConclusionConclusion
PACKAGINGPACKAGING
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ENEA research activities along the entire chain for theENEA research activities along the entire chain for theSustainable DietSustainable Diet