Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialConference paper

How Do Diet Shifts Affect the Greenhouse Gas Balance of Agricultural Soils? Denmark as a Case Study

Vasilis Michailidis, Emanuele Lugato, Panos Panagos, Diego Grados, Arwyn Jones, Florian Freund, Diego Ábalos

SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024

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Summary

This 2024 modelling study integrates Danish food consumption patterns with soil greenhouse gas inventories to explore how dietary transitions would alter the net climate footprint of agricultural soils. By linking food demand scenarios to soil emission and carbon sequestration pathways, the authors quantify the mitigation potential available through dietary change at a national level. As a preprint, the work contributes to emerging evidence on food systems' soil-mediated climate impacts and the role of demand-side interventions in agricultural decarbonisation.

UK applicability

The methodological approach is transferable to UK farming systems and food demand modelling, though UK soil types, climate, and dietary patterns differ from Denmark's. Results may inform UK policy on dietary guidance and agricultural emissions reduction targets, particularly regarding demand-side mitigation in temperate European contexts.

Key measures

Soil greenhouse gas emissions (N₂O, CH₄, CO₂), carbon sequestration rates, net climate footprint of soils under different dietary scenarios

Outcomes reported

The study modelled how shifts in Danish food consumption patterns would alter net greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration in agricultural soils. It quantified the soil-mediated climate mitigation potential of dietary transitions at the national level.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Climate & greenhouse gas mitigation
Study type
Research
Study design
Modelling study
Source type
Conference paper
Status
Preprint
Geography
Denmark
System type
Mixed farming
DOI
10.2139/ssrn.4883082
Catalogue ID
SNmov0g4z1-bzjd7u

Topic tags

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