Summary
This landmark meta-analysis by Poore and Nemecek synthesises environmental impact data from over 38,700 farms across 119 countries to assess the full supply-chain footprint of 40 major food products. The study finds substantial variation in impacts between producers of the same commodity, suggesting that producer-level efficiency gains could meaningfully reduce environmental burdens. However, the authors conclude that the most transformative reductions would require shifts in consumer diets away from animal-based foods, particularly beef and dairy.
UK applicability
Although the dataset is global, the findings are highly applicable to UK food policy and dietary guidance, informing debates around the environmental costs of livestock production, land use change, and the Committee on Climate Change's recommendations for dietary shift as part of net-zero pathways.
Key measures
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2-equivalent); land use (m²); freshwater withdrawals (L); eutrophication potential (g PO4-equivalent); acidification potential (g SO2-equivalent); data from ~38,700 farms and 1,600 processors across 119 countries
Outcomes reported
The study quantified greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, eutrophication, and acidification across approximately 40 food products representing 90% of global protein and calorie consumption. It assessed the potential for producer-side efficiency improvements and consumer dietary shifts to reduce environmental impacts.
Topic tags
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