The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift

The production and consumption of food is one of the main drivers of environmental change globally. Meanwhile, many populations remain malnourished due to insufficient or unhealthy diets. Increasingly, dietary shifts are proposed as a means to address both environmental and health concerns. We have...

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Main Authors: DeCesaro, Joseph, Allison, Edward (Eddie), Clawson, Gage, Frazier, Melanie, Gephart, Jessica, Hicks, Christina, Nash, Kirsty L., Williams, David, Halpern, Benjamin
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: IOP Publishing 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162497
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author DeCesaro, Joseph
Allison, Edward (Eddie)
Clawson, Gage
Frazier, Melanie
Gephart, Jessica
Hicks, Christina
Nash, Kirsty L.
Williams, David
Halpern, Benjamin
author_browse Allison, Edward (Eddie)
Clawson, Gage
DeCesaro, Joseph
Frazier, Melanie
Gephart, Jessica
Halpern, Benjamin
Hicks, Christina
Nash, Kirsty L.
Williams, David
author_facet DeCesaro, Joseph
Allison, Edward (Eddie)
Clawson, Gage
Frazier, Melanie
Gephart, Jessica
Hicks, Christina
Nash, Kirsty L.
Williams, David
Halpern, Benjamin
author_sort DeCesaro, Joseph
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The production and consumption of food is one of the main drivers of environmental change globally. Meanwhile, many populations remain malnourished due to insufficient or unhealthy diets. Increasingly, dietary shifts are proposed as a means to address both environmental and health concerns. We have a limited understanding of how dietary shifts could alter where food is produced and consumed and how these changes would affect the distribution of environmental pressures both globally and across different groups of people. Here we combine new food flow data linking producing to consuming country with environmental pressures to estimate how a global shift to each of four diets (Indian, EAT-Lancet, Mediterranean, and mean Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs)) could affect environmental pressures at the global, country income group, and country level. Globally, cumulative pressures decrease under the Indian, EAT-Lancet, and Mediterranean scenarios and increase under FBDGs. On average, low income countries increase their cumulative consumption and production pressures while high income countries decrease their consumption pressures, and typically decrease their production pressures. Increases in low income countries are likely due to the nutritional inadequacy of current diets and the corresponding increases in consumption quantities with a shift to our diet scenarios. Despite these increases, we believe that three out four of our simulated dietary shifts can be seen as a net benefit by decreasing global pressures while low income countries increase pressures to adequately feed their populations. Additionally, considering principles of fairness applied, some nations are more responsible for causing historical environmental pressures and should shoulder more of the change. To facilitate more equitable shifts in global diets, resources, capacity, and knowledge sharing of sustainable agricultural practices are critical to minimize the increases in pressures that low income countries would incur to adequately feed their populations.
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spelling CGSpace1624972025-12-08T09:54:28Z The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift DeCesaro, Joseph Allison, Edward (Eddie) Clawson, Gage Frazier, Melanie Gephart, Jessica Hicks, Christina Nash, Kirsty L. Williams, David Halpern, Benjamin agriculture climate change sustainable development food systems food justice The production and consumption of food is one of the main drivers of environmental change globally. Meanwhile, many populations remain malnourished due to insufficient or unhealthy diets. Increasingly, dietary shifts are proposed as a means to address both environmental and health concerns. We have a limited understanding of how dietary shifts could alter where food is produced and consumed and how these changes would affect the distribution of environmental pressures both globally and across different groups of people. Here we combine new food flow data linking producing to consuming country with environmental pressures to estimate how a global shift to each of four diets (Indian, EAT-Lancet, Mediterranean, and mean Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs)) could affect environmental pressures at the global, country income group, and country level. Globally, cumulative pressures decrease under the Indian, EAT-Lancet, and Mediterranean scenarios and increase under FBDGs. On average, low income countries increase their cumulative consumption and production pressures while high income countries decrease their consumption pressures, and typically decrease their production pressures. Increases in low income countries are likely due to the nutritional inadequacy of current diets and the corresponding increases in consumption quantities with a shift to our diet scenarios. Despite these increases, we believe that three out four of our simulated dietary shifts can be seen as a net benefit by decreasing global pressures while low income countries increase pressures to adequately feed their populations. Additionally, considering principles of fairness applied, some nations are more responsible for causing historical environmental pressures and should shoulder more of the change. To facilitate more equitable shifts in global diets, resources, capacity, and knowledge sharing of sustainable agricultural practices are critical to minimize the increases in pressures that low income countries would incur to adequately feed their populations. 2024-11-21T11:42:59Z 2024-11-21T11:42:59Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162497 en Open Access application/pdf IOP Publishing Joseph DeCesaro, Edward (Eddie) Allison, Gage Clawson, Melanie Frazier, Jessica Gephart, Christina Hicks, Kirsty L. Nash, David Williams, Benjamin Halpern. (28/10/2024). The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift. Environmental Research Letters.
spellingShingle agriculture
climate change
sustainable development
food systems
food
justice
DeCesaro, Joseph
Allison, Edward (Eddie)
Clawson, Gage
Frazier, Melanie
Gephart, Jessica
Hicks, Christina
Nash, Kirsty L.
Williams, David
Halpern, Benjamin
The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift
title The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift
title_full The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift
title_fullStr The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift
title_full_unstemmed The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift
title_short The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift
title_sort distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift
topic agriculture
climate change
sustainable development
food systems
food
justice
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162497
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