Potential environmental and population health impacts of local urban food systems under climate change: a life cycle analysis case study of lettuce and chicken

Agriculture & Food Security - Tập 3 - Trang 1-13 - 2014
Gillian Hall1,2, Alison Rothwell3, Tim Grant4, Bronwyn Isaacs1, Laura Ford1, Jane Dixon1, Martyn Kirk1, Sharon Friel1
1National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
2Medical School, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
3School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, Australia
4Life Cycle Strategies, Collingwood, Australia

Tóm tắt

Climate change is expected to have an impact on food production, processing and transport systems. While food systems have become globalized in recent decades, interest has re-emerged for local production and consumption to contribute to sustainable and secure food systems in an era of increasing urbanization and climate change. To explore environmental health issues related to the production of local food in an urban setting, a life cycle analysis screening study of two food commodities, chicken meat and lettuce, produced at industrial and civic scales was conducted in Sydney, Australia, as well as interviews with consumers and producers to explore their potential motivation to change. Determination of environmental impacts was performed using life cycle assessment (LCA) of two civic and one industrial scale producer for each commodity using SimaPro version 7.3.3. Impacts of global warming potential (GWP), land use and water use from the production of these commodities are reported. With a view to producing holistic insights to sustainable practices in Sydney, interviews with producers and consumers were undertaken to assess sociocultural outcomes including views on environmental food sustainability and other motivators of behavioral change. Local industrial production of chicken meat was found to have a lower carbon footprint than small scale civic production. Small scale civic production of lettuce had a similar carbon footprint to local industrial production. Other environmental health benefits and risks varied across the production scales. Environmental sustainability was not generally a key concern of producers or consumers. Action can be taken to retain and promote food production in urban settings as a future means of assisting food security. The scale of production can be an important variable in assessing the environmental health impacts of food production in an urban setting. Currently neither producers nor consumers appear motivated to change practices to promote environmental sustainability.

Tài liệu tham khảo

McMichael AJ: Globalization, climate change, and human health. N Engl J Med. 2013, 368: 1335-1343. Mason D, Dixon J, Isaacs B, Edwards F, Hall G: Report for the Urbanism, Climate Adaptation and Health CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship. Briefing Paper: The Dynamic Situation of Urban Agriculture in the Sydney Basin. 2011, Canberra: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Pachauri RK, Reisinger A: Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2007, 104-Geneva: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change United Nations: World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision, CD-ROM Edition. 2011, New York, NY: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division Friel S, Barosh L, Lawrence M: Towards healthy and sustainable food consumption: An Australian case study. Public Health Nutrition. 2013, 1-11. doi:10.1017/S1368980013001523 Friel S: Climate change, food insecurity and chronic diseases: sustainable and healthy policy opportunities for Australia. N S W Public Health Bull. 2010, 21: 129-133. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): World Food Security: A Reappraisal of the Concepts and Approaches. Director General’s Report. 1983, Rome: FAO Satterthwaite D, McGranahan G, Tacoli C: Urbanization and its implications for food and farming. Phil Trans R Soc B. 2010, 365: 2809-2820. Edwards F, Dixon J, Friel S, Hall G, Larsen K, Lockie S, Wood B, Lawrence M, Hanigan I, Hogan A, Hattersley L: Climate change adaptation at the intersection of food and health. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2011, 23: 94-104. Graham PW, Smart A: Possible Futures: Scenario Modelling of Australian Alternative Transport Fuels to 2050. 2011, Newcastle: CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship Deelstra T, Girardet H: Urban agriculture and sustainable cities. Growing Cities Growing Food: Urban Agriculture on the Policy Agenda: A Reader on Urban Agriculture. Edited by: Bakker N, Dubbeling M, Guendel S, Sabel Koschella U, de Zeeuw H. 2001, 43-65. Feldafing: German Foundation for International Development Gabel S: Exploring the gender dimensions of urban open-space cultivation in Harare, Zimbabwe. Agropolis: The Social, Political, and Environmental Dimensions of Urban Agriculture. Edited by: Mougeot LJA. 2005, 107-130. London: Earthscan Premat A: Moving between the plan and the ground: shifting perspectives on urban agriculture in Havana, Cuba. Agropolis: The Social, Political, and Environmental Dimensions of Urban Agriculture. Edited by: Mougeot LJA. 2005, 153-179. London: Earthscan Perez-Vazquez A, Anderson S, Rogers A: Assessing benefits from allotments as a component of urban agriculture in England. Agropolis: The Social, Political, and Environmental Dimensions of Urban Agriculture. Edited by: Mougeot LJA. 2005, 239-266. London: Earthscan La Trobe H: Farmers’ markets: consuming local rural produce. Int J Consum Stud. 2001, 25: 181-192. 10.1046/j.1470-6431.2001.00171.x. Kneafsey M, Cox R, Holloway L, Dowler E, Venn L, Tuomainen H: Reconnecting Consumers, Producers and Food: Exploring Alternatives. 2008, Oxford: Berg Weber CL, Matthews HS: Food-miles and the relative climate impacts of food choices in the United States. Environ Sci Technol. 2008, 42: 3508-3513. Harvey M: The rise of supermarkets and asymmetries of economic power. Supermarkets and Agri-Food Supply Chains: Transformations in the Production and Consumption of Foods. Edited by: Burch D, Lawrence G. 2007, 51-73. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Estrada-Flores S, Larsen K: Best Practice Food Distribution Systems. 2010, Melbourne: Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab (VEIL) and Food Chain Intelligence (FCI) Milà I, Canals L, Muñoz I, Hospido A, Plassman K, McLaren S: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Domestic vs. Imported Vegetables. Case Studies on Broccoli, Salad Crops and Green Beans. 2008, Guilford: Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey Hospido A, Milà I, Canal L, McLaren S, Truninger M, Edwards-Jones G, Clift R: The role of seasonality in lettuce consumption: a case study of environmental and social aspects. Int J Life Cycle Assess. 2009, 14: 381-391. 10.1007/s11367-009-0091-7. Mundler P, Rumpus L: The energy efficiency of local systems: a comparison between different modes of distribution. Food Policy. 2012, 37: 609-615. 10.1016/j.foodpol.2012.07.006. Mason D, Knowd I: The emergence of urban agriculture: Sydney, Australia. Int J Agric Sustain. 2010, 8: 62-71. 10.3763/ijas.2009.0474. Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils Ltd (WSROC): Greater Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils: Community Profile: 2001 and 2006 Enumerated Census Information. 2009, Melbourne: ID Consulting Pty Ltd Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS): 7125.0 - Agricultural Commodities: Small Area Data, Australia, 2005-06 (Reissue). 2008, Canberra: ABS New South Wales Department of Agriculture: Regional Review: Sydney and South East Region. 2003, Orange: New South Wales Department of Agriculture Farrell D: Poultry development review. Poultry and Human Nutrition. 2013, [www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3531e/i3531e.pdf], Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, [] Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES): Edited by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Agricultural Commodity Statistics 2011. 2011, Canberra: ABARES Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS): Table 2 Agricultural Commodities, State and NRM Region - New South Wales 2008-09. 7120DO001_200809. 7121.0 - Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2008-9. 2010, Canberra: ABS AUSVEG: Vegetable Spotlight: Lettuce. 2014, [http://ausveg.com.au/resources/statistics/vegetable-spotlight/lettuce.htm], Camberwell: AUSVEG, [] Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ): Australian Food Composition Tables. 2006, Canberra: FSANZ Malcolm P, Fahd R: Ground Truthing of Sydney Vegetable Industry in 2008. 2009, Orange: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Head L, Muir P, Hampel E: Australian backyard gardens and the journey of migration. Geogr Rev. 2004, 94: 326-347. Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC): National Agriculture and Climate Change Action Plan 2006-2009. 2006, Canberra: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Chesson J, Morgan L, Whitworth B: Assessing the Environmental Performance of the Food Value Chain: An extension of the Signposts for Australian Agriculture Framework. 2006, Canberra: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Bureau of Rural Sciences International Organization for Standardization (ISO): ISO 14040 - Environmental Management - Life Cycle Assessment - Principles and Framework. 2006, Geneva: ISO International Organization for Standardization (ISO): ISO 14044 - Environmental Management - Life Cycle Assessment - Requirements and Guidelines. 2006, Geneva: ISO Reap J, Roman F, Duncan S, Bras B: A survey of unresolved problems in life cycle assessment. Part 1: goal and scope and inventory analysis. Int J Life Cycle Assess. 2008, 13: 290-300. 10.1007/s11367-008-0008-x. Lyson TA: Civic Agriculture: Reconnecting Farm, Food, and Community. 2004, Lebanon, NH: University Press of New England Kloppenburg J, Lezberg S, De Master K, Stevenson GW, Hendrickson J: Tasting food, tasting sustainability: defining the attributes of an alternative food system with competent, ordinary people. Hum Organ. 2000, 59: 177-186. Marsden T, Smith E: Ecological entrepreneurship: sustainable development in local communities through quality food production and local branding. Geoforum. 2005, 36: 440-451. 10.1016/j.geoforum.2004.07.008. Brentrup F, Kusters J, Lammel J, Kuhlmann H: Life cycle impact assessment of land use based on the hemeroby concept. Int J Life Cycle Assess. 2002, 7: 339-348. Reap J, Roman F, Duncan S, Bras B: A survey of unresolved problems in life cycle assessment. Part 2: impact assessment and interpretation. Int J Life Cycle Assess. 2008, 13: 374-388. 10.1007/s11367-008-0009-9. Milà I, Canals L, Bauer C, Depestele J, Dubreuil A, Knuchel R, Gaillard G, Michelson O, Muller-Wenk R, Rydgren B: Land use in LCA: key elements in a framework for land use impact assessment within LCA. Int J Life Cycle Assess. 2007, 12: 5-15. 10.1065/lca2006.05.250. PRé Consultants: SimaPro 7.3.3 (software). 2012, Amersfoort: PRé Consultants Harris S, Narayanaswamy V: Life Cycle Assessment Methodology for Australian Rural Industries. 2009, Canberra: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Goedkoop MJ, Heijungs R, Huijbregts M, De Schryver A, Struijs J, van Zelm R: ReCiPe 2008: A Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method Which Comprises Harmonised Category Indicators at the Midpoint and the Endpoint Level. 2009, The Hague: Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment Solomon S, Qin D, Manning M, Chen Z, Marquis M, Averyt KB, Tignor M, Miller HL: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2007, Geneva: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Committee: Australian Methodology for the Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks 2006: Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry. 2008, Canberra: Department of Climate Change Benjamin Wells BVSc: Personal communication. 2013 Dixon J, Isaacs B: Why sustainable and ‘nutritionally correct’ food is not on the local agenda: Western Sydney, the moral arts of everyday life and public policy. Food Policy. 2013, 43: 67-76. Miles M, Huberman M, Saldaña J: Qualitative Data Analysis: A Sourcebook of New Methods. 1984, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Symons M: On Continuous Picnic: A History of Eating in Australia. 1982, Adelaide: Duck Press Bengtsson J, Seddon J: Cradle to retailer or quick service restaurant gate life cycle assessment of chicken products in Australia. J Clean Prod. 2013, 41: 291-300. Wiedemann S: McGahan E, Poad G: Using Life Cycle Assessment to Quantify the Environmental Impact of Chicken Meat Production. 2012, Canberra: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Maraseni T, Mushtag S, Reardon-Smith K: Integrated analysis for a carbon- and water-constrained future: an assessment of drip irrigation in a lettuce production system in eastern Australia. J Environ Manage. 2012, 111: 220-226. Maraseni T, Cockfield G, Maroulis J, Chen G: An assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the Australian vegetables industry. J Environ Sci Health B. 2010, 45: 578-588. Dalal RC, Wang W, Robertson GP, Parton WJ: Nitrous oxide emission from Australian agricultural lands and mitigation options: a review. Soil Res. 2003, 41: 165-195. 10.1071/SR02064. Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI): Nitrogen Fertilisers - Improving Efficiency and Saving Money. 2014, [http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/agriculture-and-food/farm-management/weather-and-climate/understanding-carbon-and-emissions/nitrogen-fertilisers], Melbourne: DEPI, [] McMichael AJ, Powles JW, Butler CD, Uauy R: Food, livestock production, energy, climate change, and health. Lancet. 2007, 370: 1253-1263. Goodchild C, Thompson A: Keeping Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps. 1941, Harmonsworth: Penguin Books Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS): Sydney 2006 Census Data. 2008, B31 Dwelling structure, Canberra: ABS, Community Profile Series: Basic Community Profile (catalogue number 2001.0). Latest issue edition Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS): Greater Sydney 2011 Census of Population and Housing. 2013, B31 Dwelling structure, Canberra: ABS, Basic Community Profile (catalogue number 2001.0). Latest issue edition Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO): Climate Change in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment. 2007, Clayton South: New South Wales Government, CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO): Climate Change in the Sydney Metropolitan Catchments. 2007, Clayton South: New South Wales Government: CSIRO Grafton RQ, Kompas T: Pricing Sydney water. Aust J Agric Resor Econ. 2007, 51: 227-241. Mullner P, Jones G, Noble A, Spencer SE, Hathaway S, French NP: Source attribution of food-borne zoonoses in New Zealand: a modified Hald model. Risk Anal. 2009, 29: 970-984. Pires SM, Vigre H, Makela P, Hald T: Using outbreak data for source attribution of human salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis in Europe. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2010, 7: 1351-1361. Graham JP, Leibler JH, Price LB, Otte JM, Pfeiffer DU, Tiensin T, Silbergeld EK: The animal-human interface and infectious disease in industrial food animal production: rethinking biosecurity and biocontainment. Public Health Rep. 2008, 123: 282-299. East IJ: Adoption of biosecurity practices in the Australian poultry industries. Aust Vet J. 2007, 85: 107-112. Pollock SL, Stephen C, Skuridina N, Kosatsky T: Raising chickens in city backyards: the public health role. J Community Health. 2012, 37: 734-742. Mitchell MA, Kettlewell PJ: Physiological stress and welfare of broiler chickens in transit: solutions not problems!. Poult Sci. 1998, 77: 1803-1814. Duncan IJH: Animal welfare issues in the poultry industry: is there a lesson to be learned?. J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2001, 4: 207-221. 10.1207/S15327604JAWS0403_04. RSPCA Australia: Meat Chickens. 2014, [http://www.rspca.org.au/how-you-can-help/campaigns/meat-chickens.html], Deakin West: RSPCA, [] Hendershot W, Turmel P: Is food grown in urban gardens safe?. Integr Environ Assess Manag. 2007, 3: 463-464. Frischknecht R, Jungbluth N, Althaus HJ, Bauer C, Doka G, Dones R, Hischier R, Hellweg S, Humbert S, Köllner T, Loerincik Y, Margni M, Nemecek T: Implementation of Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methods. ecoinvent report No. 3, v2.0. 2007, Dübendorf: Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories Moller H: Environmental Impacts From Capital Goods in LCA of Meat Products. 2010, Bari: LCA Food