8 results
3 - Carbon footprint and nutritional quality of diets in France
- Edited by Catherine Esnouf, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Marie Russel, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Nicolas Bricas, Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
-
- Book:
- Food System Sustainability
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 25 April 2013, pp 51-68
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
This chapter presents some original findings based on a study of the carbon footprint of food in France. Factors that are liable to explain the inter-individual variability of the carbon footprint associated with the usual food consumption of a representative sample of French adults were explored. By analysing the relationship between the nutritional quality of food and its carbon footprint, this chapter also addresses the more general issue of the compatibility of two of the pillars of sustainability.
The authors would like to thank the ADEME and INRA for their financial support that enabled this study to be conducted.
Introduction
Initial observations of the environmental impact of food demonstrated a broad inter-individual variability of this impact (even when taking account of variations in energy consumption). This contributed to the suggestion that dietary choices could simply be altered (i.e. replacing certain foods) to reduce the environmental impact of food (Carlsson-Kanyama et al., 2003; Coley et al., 1998). In particular, a reduction in the consumption of red meat from ruminants was suggested, because it is the production of these foods that generates the most greenhouse gas emissions per kilocalorie (kcal) (approximately 11 g eqCO2/ kcal) (Kling and Hough, 2010).
Introduction
- Edited by Catherine Esnouf, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Marie Russel, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Nicolas Bricas, Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
-
- Book:
- Food System Sustainability
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 25 April 2013, pp 1-4
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Food in the context of sustainable development
Food sustainability must meet the challenges of sustainable development. These challenges, of a political nature, are: (1) the transformation of technical and economic development methods to render them compatible with long-term environmental requirements, (2) intra-generational equity to provide the conditions for joint action to promote essential public goods at different territorial scales up to a planetary level, and (3) the acceptance by today’s generations of the costs, duties and limits determined with regard to the fate of future generations, even in the very long term (Godard, 2009). Food sustainability can be defined in this context, and has been assigned numerous definitions. The most recent was proposed by the FAO following a symposium on biodiversity: a sustainable food system will protect and respect biodiversity and ecosystems, be culturally acceptable, economically fair and affordable, nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy, while optimising the use of natural and human resources (FAO, 2010b).
The objective of food sustainability must be to face all or some of these challenges and not to assume that existing models continue to be applied in the long term; this may mean developing new models or adapting existing models.
5 - Industrial organisation and sustainability
- Edited by Catherine Esnouf, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Marie Russel, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Nicolas Bricas, Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
-
- Book:
- Food System Sustainability
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 25 April 2013, pp 101-114
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
A large proportion of foods are produced today by industrial chains that are confronted by numerous challenges. Like all industries, they need to integrate new requirements relative to the environment and sustainability into their activities. Yet they are also subject to major trends, affecting both final consumption and agricultural production. Indeed, on the one hand, consumers (or at least some of them) are expressing new demands relative to food and how it is produced. On the other hand, current trends at the agricultural level may suggest possible changes in the availability, supply regularity and prices of agricultural raw materials. Finally, the competition in which companies are involved at national, European or international levels raises questions as to evolution in their medium and longer term competitiveness.
The aim of this chapter is to review some of the important features of past evolutions and of the technological and economic ‘model’ upon which they were based. It is thus ‘agri-industrial systems’, as defined in Chapter 4, which are addressed here. We will then try to identify, in terms of sustainability, the principal challenges faced by these industrial chains, and finally to clarify a certain number of important themes that need to be investigated in future research programmes in order to enlighten public and private decision-making in this field.
8 - International trade, price volatility and standards for sustainability
- Edited by Catherine Esnouf, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Marie Russel, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Nicolas Bricas, Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
-
- Book:
- Food System Sustainability
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 25 April 2013, pp 158-175
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Questions of food sustainability cannot be limited to the national sphere, insofar as international interactions are undeniable. This chapter focuses on their role, concentrating on the volatility of global food prices and on public and private norms and standards.
The international dimension of these questions is reflected first of all by questions concerning the volatility of agricultural prices. Although volatility itself is not the preserve of international markets, it has become difficult to address this issue without taking account of the global dimension of agricultural markets, in terms of both the formation of prices and their subsequent adjustments. These issues have become particularly acute since the recent crises affecting food prices. When linked to the issue of food sustainability, they lead to questions on the types of adjustments made at a global level and the resulting differences according to the level of development of a country, as well as justifications for, and the modes of, public intervention. Commercial policies that are directly affected by international interactions play a particular role in this respect, and this merits discussion in order to analyse the challenges inherent in their application and any disciplines associated with their use.
2 - Consumption and consumers
- Edited by Catherine Esnouf, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Marie Russel, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Nicolas Bricas, Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
-
- Book:
- Food System Sustainability
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 25 April 2013, pp 27-50
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Analysis of the medium- and long-term evolution of global food consumption highlights some striking regularities. This chapter addresses the potential consequences of a generalisation of these trends, before focusing on their determinants and in particular the factors that might alter current trends to promote greater sustainability. Six main areas are covered: the characteristics of long-term changes to diet, the international convergence of food models and evolution of the situation in Southern countries, the bio-physiological determinants of changes to consumption, the role of agricultural policies, the identification of factors that may change trends and, finally, the heterogeneity of consumption and nutritional inequalities.
One of the major issues addressed by this working group was to determine whether dietary trends and their underlying major determinants were the same in all countries, or whether on the contrary it was possible to identify differences that might indicate alternative pathways for change. The same concern led the group to look at break points in past consumption trends, concerning meat in particular, insofar as they might lead to a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying the alteration of long-term trends and the emergence of new dietary standards.
4 - Food systems
- Edited by Catherine Esnouf, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Marie Russel, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Nicolas Bricas, Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
-
- Book:
- Food System Sustainability
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 25 April 2013, pp 69-100
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
This chapter focuses on food systems using an innovative dual approach. First of all, by considering them in interaction with energy and chemical systems within ecosystems, it poses the question of resource allocation (land and biomass). Second, a socioeconomic approach then highlights the diversity of these food systems. Different types of systems co-exist and reflect different ways of producing, processing, distributing and consuming food products. The ‘global’ food system is a constantly changing combination of these different types of systems, all of which influence each other.
Thanks to this dual approach to food systems, new research questions have emerged. New analytical frameworks would enable a clearer understanding of the interconnections between food systems within ecosystems, on the one hand, and their diversity and constant recombination on the other.
Introduction
Referring to the pioneering work of Malassis (1996), Rastoin et al. (2010) defined a food system (FS) as
an interdependent network of stakeholders (companies, financial institutions, public and private organisations) localised in a given geographical area (region, state, multinational region), participating directly or indirectly in the creation of a flow of goods and services geared towards satisfying the food needs of one or more groups of consumers, both locally and outside the area considered.
7 - Losses and wastage
- Edited by Catherine Esnouf, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Marie Russel, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Nicolas Bricas, Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
-
- Book:
- Food System Sustainability
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 25 April 2013, pp 136-157
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
It is necessary to recognise and understand losses and wastage in order to enable their reduction and recovery.
Introduction
The importance of food losses and wastage in the context of sustainability and the lack of understanding of their extent, the mechanisms at play and the role of different stakeholders are such that we have devoted an entire chapter to this subject of crucial importance to the sustainability of food systems.
In this chapter we will define the losses and wastage that affect products intended directly for human consumption, in both Northern and Southern countries, without specifying the food systems in which they occur. By analysing recovery options of these lost or wasted products, this chapter will fuel the debate referred to in Chapter 4 on the interlocking character of food, energy and chemical systems and on the circular economy of agricultural biomass.
Losses and wastage are not linked to stakeholders’ carelessness. In Northern countries, they are the visible result of socioeconomic changes to food systems at a planetary level (globalisation of markets, industrialisation of processing, etc.), and of changes in value systems (leisure time versus food preparation time) (Soyeux, 2010).
The growth of the world’s population, the perception of the finite supply of arable land, the affirmation of the right to food and rises in the cost of agricultural products are all drivers that place human food consumption at the forefront of political and social concerns.
1 - Context: new challenges for food systems
- Edited by Catherine Esnouf, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Marie Russel, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Nicolas Bricas, Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
-
- Book:
- Food System Sustainability
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 25 April 2013, pp 5-26
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
The global food context is characterised by growing uncertainties and increasing constraints.
The two sides of the global equation for food self-sufficiency are known: the planet will have to provide food for more than 9 billion people in 2050, while satisfying growing non-food demands because of the increasing rarity of fossil energy sources, all in the context of development that is respectful of both the environment and human beings. The joint INRA–CIRAD Agrimonde foresight study (Paillard et al., 2010) showed that achieving these ambitions is not impossible if certain conditions are met; in particular, a sustainable increase in yields on the supply side and an improvement in the use of agricultural products at different stages, including a reduction in losses and wastage between the farm gate and the consumer’s plate, and possible reductions in, or modifications to, the content of different diets on the demand side. Increased and more secure trade is also necessary, insofar as Africa and Asia, where the greatest population rises are anticipated, will remain deficient in agricultural and food products. Finally, the food context of the future is characterised by increasing uncertainties and considerable constraints.