The DOI matches its Crossref record; 37 of the 38 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimates of U.S. Dietary Choices and Food Loss
Abstract
Summary: Dietary behavioral choices have a strong effect on the environmental impact associated with the food system. Here, we consider the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with production of food that is lost at the retail and consumer level, as well as the potential effects on GHG emissions of a shift to dietary recommendations. Calculations are based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food availability data set and literature meta‐analysis of emission factors for various food types. Food losses contribute 1.4 kilograms (kg) carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 ‐eq) capita −1 day −1 (28%) to the overall carbon footprint of the average U.S. diet; in total, this is equivalent to the emissions of 33 million average passenger vehicles annually. Whereas beef accounts for only 4% of the retail food supply by weight, it represents 36% of the diet‐related GHG emissions. An iso‐caloric shift from the current average U.S. diet to USDA dietary recommendations could result in a 12% increase in diet‐related GHG emissions, whereas a shift that includes a decrease in caloric intake, based on the needs of the population (assuming moderate activity), results in a small (1%) decrease in diet‐related GHG emissions. These findings emphasize the need to consider environmental costs of food production in formulating recommended food patterns.
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“Past investigators have highlighted the land, irrigation water, greenhouse gas, and reactive nitrogen burdens of producing animal-sourced foods, especially beef.[44, 45]”
From Relationship between food waste, diet quality, and environmental sustainability (2018) · cites this paper as [45]
Citations
Cites
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Cited by
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Aleksandrowicz, L., Green, R., Joy, E. J. M., Smith, P., & Haines, A. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165797 · Cited by 1,135
Missing food, missing data? A critical review of global food losses and food waste data
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Quantifying the potential for climate change mitigation of consumption options
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Multi-indicator sustainability assessment of global food systems
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Relationship between food waste, diet quality, and environmental sustainability
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Metadata
- Authors
- Heller, M. C., & Keoleian, G. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Heller, Martin C.
- Venue
- Journal of Industrial Ecology
- Published
- 2014-09-04
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 391-401
- ISSN
- 1088-1980 (ISSN-L)
- 1530-9290
- OpenAlex
- W1557062754
- Semantic Scholar
- 17a57888c71bd1d785be73b3a276365214ecaae3
- Cited by
- 329
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 51 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 16.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Industrial Ecology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Environmental Impact and Sustainability
- Keywords
- greenhouse gas emissions, food systems, food loss, food choice, carbon footprint, beef, dietary recommendations, energy intake, emission factors, environmental impact of food production
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