The Implications of our Food Choices for Global Warming

1
The Implications of our Food Choices for Global
Warming

• Martha Rosemeyer
• Evergreen State College
• rosemeym_at_evergreen.edu

2
Global warming and the food system

• Food system accounts for about 35-50 of
  greenhouse effect
• Deforestation of land for agriculture
• Fossil fuel for industrial agriculture,
  transportation
• Cattle produce methane

3
Where does the industrial food system use fossil
fuel energy?

• Tractors- direct and indirect
• Fertilizers- especially nitrogen fertilizer,
  pesticides
• Irrigation
• Harvest
• Processing, packaging, refrigeration
• Distribution
• All stages produce greenhouse gases!

4
Energy efficiency of Food System

• 7-10 kcal of fossil fuel energy for every one
  kcal delivered to American plate (Pollan, 2006)
• 1/5 of all petroleum used in US for food system
• How did we get so inefficient?

5
Industrial model Plant and animal production
separated for sake of efficiency

• Plants considered factories
• Animals considered separate factories
• Put inputs in and saleable products out
• Animal waste is a serious problem in the animal
  system but an asset to the plant system
• Takes fossil fuel energy to replace manure

efficient because fossil fuel is subsidized
6
We can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by our
food choices

• How our food produced
• Less fossil fuel
• Leaving mulch on the soil surface (conservation
  tillage)
• Organic
• 40-60less greenhouse gases in production and can
  take up C from atmosphere
• Whether it is processed
• Less is best
• Distance our food is transported/efficiency of
  transport
• Local can make a significant difference
• Locavore has been added to the dictionary!

7
Was it processed?
Pirog 2005
8
Relative effect of these three factors?

• UK- 20 GHG due to food system
• 8.4 agricultural production
• 2.2 processing
• 2.5 in transport
• Appears that effect of organic/production change
  would be greatest

www.climateactionprogramme.org
9
Can be summarized as

• Organic
• and
• Fresh
• and
• Local
• All three needed to get the most reduction of
  greenhouse gases

10
What does local mean?

• Most people think area within 25 miles, but can
  be defined as a state or region
• Food miles are the distance that food travels
  between production and consumption
• 1550 miles average produce in Iowa
• Canada study found eliminate 96 of GHG
  attributed to food transport if buy from local
  farmers market

11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
Greenhouse gas emissions of farmers market and
conventional produce
CO2
14
Ecolabels for Food Miles (ISU, 2005)
Pirog 2005
15
Can imported food actually mean fewer greenhouse
gases?

• Study showed that lamb imported from New Zealand
  to UK responsible for less greenhouse gases than
  local lamb
• How could this be?

16

• What did not take into account was the production
  system!
• Pastured, grazed lamb from New Zealand (low
  energy used) was compared with lamb in
  confinement in UK (high energy use)
• Ignored the possibility of local, pastured lamb!
• System of production compensated for fuel used in
  transport

17
Life Cycle Analysis

• Calculation that takes all three
• into account
• Energy involved in production
• Energy involved in processing
• Energy involved in distribution
• In short, takes into account organic, fresh and
  local together!

18
Can we create a local food system?

• Change to farmers market products meant 10
  reduction in greenhouse gases
• Study in Ontario Canada found that with only a
  change in crop in 10-12 of land area that needs
  of local people were fulfilled (Xuereb 2006)
• Maintains landscape in farms, local control
• Create community as well!

19
Introduce people who are working to make food
available locally as well as creating community

• Andrew McLeod- Foodshed and Food Hub Projects,
  Northwest Cooperative Development Center
• Barry Cannon- Gleaners Coalition and Hunger Free
  Thurston County
• Halli Winstead and Craig Ward- Sustainability
  Intern and Campus Dining Director, Aramark at
  Evergreen State College, respectively