Circularity in animal production requires a change in the EAT-Lancet diet in Europe
Open accessPublished version of a preprint
Abstract
It is not known whether dietary guidelines proposing a limited intake of animal protein are compatible with the adoption of circular food systems. Using a resource-allocation model, we compared the effects of circularity on the supply of animal-source nutrients in Europe with the nutritional requirements of the EAT-Lancet reference diet. We found the two to be compatible in terms of total animal-source proteins but not specific animal-source foods; in particular, the EAT-Lancet guidelines recommend larger quantities of poultry meat over beef and pork, while a circular food system produces mainly milk, dairy-beef and pork. Compared with the EAT-Lancet reference diet, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by up to 31% and arable land use reduced by up to 42%. Careful consideration of the feasible substitutability between animal-source foods is needed to define potential roles of animal products in circular human diets.
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Cites
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Defining a land boundary for sustainable livestock consumption
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- Authors
- van Selm, B., Frehner, A., de Boer, I. J. M., van Hal, O., Hijbeek, R., van Ittersum, M. K., Talsma, E. F., Lesschen, J. P., Hendriks, C. M. J., Herrero, M., & van Zanten, H. H. E.
- Affiliations
- Forschungsinstitut für Biologischen Landbau (CH)
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
- Cornell University (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nature Food
- Published
- 2022-01-06
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 66-73
- ISSN
- 2662-1355 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4205111397
- Cited by
- 125
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 3
- FWCI
- 13.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature Food (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Research Square (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Organic Eprints (International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems, and Research Institute of Organic Agriculture) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Wageningen University and Research
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Agricultural and Food Production Studies
- Keywords
- circular food systems, EAT-Lancet diet, animal protein intake, dietary guidelines, animal source foods, poultry meat, beef, pork, dairy products, greenhouse gas emissions, arable land use, resource allocation model, food system sustainability
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