IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jfpoli/v37y2012i6p760-770.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The price of protein: Review of land use and carbon footprints from life cycle assessments of animal food products and their substitutes

Author

Listed:
  • Nijdam, Durk
  • Rood, Trudy
  • Westhoek, Henk

Abstract

Animal husbandry, aquaculture and fishery have major impacts on the environment. In order to identify the range of impacts and the most important factors thereof, as well as to identify what are the main causes of the differences between products, we analysed 52 life cycle assessment studies (LCAs) of animal and vegetal sources of protein. Our analysis was focused only on land requirement and carbon footprints.

Suggested Citation

  • Nijdam, Durk & Rood, Trudy & Westhoek, Henk, 2012. "The price of protein: Review of land use and carbon footprints from life cycle assessments of animal food products and their substitutes," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 760-770.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:37:y:2012:i:6:p:760-770
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2012.08.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919212000942
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.foodpol.2012.08.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Davies, R.W.D. & Cripps, S.J. & Nickson, A. & Porter, G., 2009. "Defining and estimating global marine fisheries bycatch," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 661-672, July.
    2. Casey, J.W. & Holden, N.M., 2005. "Analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from the average Irish milk production system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 97-114, October.
    3. Johan Rockström & Will Steffen & Kevin Noone & Åsa Persson & F. Stuart Chapin & Eric F. Lambin & Timothy M. Lenton & Marten Scheffer & Carl Folke & Hans Joachim Schellnhuber & Björn Nykvist & Cynthia , 2009. "A safe operating space for humanity," Nature, Nature, vol. 461(7263), pages 472-475, September.
    4. Verge, X.P.C. & Dyer, J.A. & Desjardins, R.L. & Worth, D., 2007. "Greenhouse gas emissions from the Canadian dairy industry in 2001," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(3), pages 683-693, June.
    5. Sangwon Suh & Bo Weidema & Jannick Hoejrup Schmidt & Reinout Heijungs, 2010. "Generalized Make and Use Framework for Allocation in Life Cycle Assessment," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 14(2), pages 335-353, March.
    6. Friederike Ziegler & Andreas Emanuelsson & John Lucas Eichelsheim & Anna Flysjö & Vaque Ndiaye & Mikkel Thrane, 2011. "Extended Life Cycle Assessment of Southern Pink Shrimp Products Originating in Senegalese Artisanal and Industrial Fisheries for Export to Europe," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 15(4), pages 527-538, August.
    7. Unknown, 2008. "Institute of Agricultural Economics," Economics of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Economics, vol. 55(3).
    8. González, Alejandro D. & Frostell, Björn & Carlsson-Kanyama, Annika, 2011. "Protein efficiency per unit energy and per unit greenhouse gas emissions: Potential contribution of diet choices to climate change mitigation," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 562-570, October.
    9. Stehfest, Elke & Berg, Maurits van den & Woltjer, Geert & Msangi, Siwa & Westhoek, Henk, 2013. "Options to reduce the environmental effects of livestock production – Comparison of two economic models," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 38-53.
    10. Ellingsen, H. & Olaussen, J.O. & Utne, I.B., 2009. "Environmental analysis of the Norwegian fishery and aquaculture industry--A preliminary study focusing on farmed salmon," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 479-488, May.
    11. Vergé, X.P.C. & Dyer, J.A. & Desjardins, R.L. & Worth, D., 2008. "Greenhouse gas emissions from the Canadian beef industry," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 126-134, September.
    12. Thomassen, M.A. & van Calker, K.J. & Smits, M.C.J. & Iepema, G.L. & de Boer, I.J.M., 2008. "Life cycle assessment of conventional and organic milk production in the Netherlands," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 96(1-3), pages 95-107, March.
    13. Pelletier, Nathan & Pirog, Rich & Rasmussen, Rebecca, 2010. "Comparative life cycle environmental impacts of three beef production strategies in the Upper Midwestern United States," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(6), pages 380-389, July.
    14. Haxsen, Gerhard, 2008. "Calculating Costs of Pig Production with the InterPIG Network," Thünen Working Paper 102573, Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI), Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries.
    15. Haxsen, Gerhard, 2008. "Calculating costs of pig production with the InterPIG network," Arbeitsberichte aus der vTI-Agrarökonomie 04/2008, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries.
    16. Flysjö, Anna & Henriksson, Maria & Cederberg, Christel & Ledgard, Stewart & Englund, Jan-Eric, 2011. "The impact of various parameters on the carbon footprint of milk production in New Zealand and Sweden," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(6), pages 459-469, July.
    17. Vázquez-Rowe, Ian & Moreira, María Teresa & Feijoo, Gumersindo, 2012. "Environmental assessment of frozen common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) captured by Spanish fishing vessels in the Mauritanian EEZ," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 180-188, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Raymond L. Desjardins & Devon E. Worth & Xavier P. C. Vergé & Dominique Maxime & Jim Dyer & Darrel Cerkowniak, 2012. "Carbon Footprint of Beef Cattle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(12), pages 1-23, December.
    2. White, Robin R. & Brady, Michael & Capper, Judith L. & Johnson, Kristen A., 2014. "Optimizing diet and pasture management to improve sustainability of U.S. beef production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 1-12.
    3. Bonnin, Dennis & Tabacco, Ernesto & Borreani, Giorgio, 2021. "Variability of greenhouse gas emissions and economic performances on 10 Piedmontese beef farms in North Italy," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    4. Agostinho, F. & Oliveira, M.W. & Pulselli, F.M. & Almeida, C.M.V.B. & Giannetti, B.F., 2019. "Emergy accounting as a support for a strategic planning towards a regional sustainable milk production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    5. Thomassen, M.A. & Dolman, M.A. & van Calker, K.J. & de Boer, I.J.M., 2009. "Relating life cycle assessment indicators to gross value added for Dutch dairy farms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(8-9), pages 2278-2284, June.
    6. Hessle, Anna & Bertilsson, Jan & Stenberg, Bo & Kumm, Karl-Ivar & Sonesson, Ulf, 2017. "Combining environmentally and economically sustainable dairy and beef production in Sweden," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 105-114.
    7. Beauchemin, Karen A. & Henry Janzen, H. & Little, Shannan M. & McAllister, Tim A. & McGinn, Sean M., 2010. "Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from beef production in western Canada: A case study," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(6), pages 371-379, July.
    8. Hafiz Muhammad Abrar Ilyas & Majeed Safa & Alison Bailey & Sara Rauf & Marvin Pangborn, 2019. "The Carbon Footprint of Energy Consumption in Pastoral and Barn Dairy Farming Systems: A Case Study from Canterbury, New Zealand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-15, September.
    9. Wiedemann, S.G. & Henry, B.K. & McGahan, E.J. & Grant, T. & Murphy, C.M. & Niethe, G., 2015. "Resource use and greenhouse gas intensity of Australian beef production: 1981–2010," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 109-118.
    10. Lucio Cecchini & Biancamaria Torquati & Chiara Paffarini & Marco Barbanera & Daniele Foschini & Massimo Chiorri, 2016. "The Milk Supply Chain in Italy’s Umbria Region: Environmental and Economic Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-15, July.
    11. Guyader, Jessie & Little, Shannan & Kröbel, Roland & Benchaar, Chaouki & Beauchemin, Karen A., 2017. "Comparison of greenhouse gas emissions from corn- and barley-based dairy production systems in Eastern Canada," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 38-46.
    12. Efken, Josef & Haxsen, Gerhard & Pelikan, Janine, 2009. "Der Markt für Fleisch und Fleischprodukte," German Journal of Agricultural Economics, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Department for Agricultural Economics, vol. 58(01), pages 1-13, January.
    13. Van Middelaar, C.E. & Berentsen, P.B.M. & Dijkstra, J. & De Boer, I.J.M., 2013. "Evaluation of a feeding strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farming: The level of analysis matters," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 9-22.
    14. Huang, Wei, 2022. "Demand for plant-based milk and effects of a carbon tax on fresh milk consumption in Sweden," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 518-529.
    15. Bradley G. Ridoutt & Peerasak Sanguansri & Gregory S. Harper, 2011. "Comparing Carbon and Water Footprints for Beef Cattle Production in Southern Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(12), pages 1-13, December.
    16. Dogbe, Wisdom, 2022. "Implications of increasing fruits and vegetable consumption in Scotland," 96th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2022, K U Leuven, Belgium 321232, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    17. Pereira, Carolina H. & Patino, Harold O. & Hoshide, Aaron K. & Abreu, Daniel C. & Alan Rotz, C. & Nabinger, Carlos, 2018. "Grazing supplementation and crop diversification benefits for southern Brazil beef: A case study," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1-9.
    18. Vergé, X.P.C. & Dyer, J.A. & Desjardins, R.L. & Worth, D., 2008. "Greenhouse gas emissions from the Canadian beef industry," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 126-134, September.
    19. Derek H. Lynch & Rod MacRae & Ralph C. Martin, 2011. "The Carbon and Global Warming Potential Impacts of Organic Farming: Does It Have a Significant Role in an Energy Constrained World?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-41, January.
    20. James A. Dyer & Raymond L. Desjardins & Devon E. Worth & Xavier P.C. Vergé, 2020. "Potential Role for Consumers to Reduce Canadian Agricultural GHG Emissions by Diversifying Animal Protein Sources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-15, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:37:y:2012:i:6:p:760-770. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/foodpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.