The nitrogen footprint of Swedish food consumption

Journal article, 2022

Food systems are major drivers of environmental and health impacts. While the emissions and other pressures causing these impacts mainly occur in primary agricultural production, the deeper causes and much of the mitigation potential are distributed throughout food systems, including dietary choices and multiple inefficiencies in the whole chain from agricultural production to consumption and waste management. An environmental indicator based on this systems perspective is the nitrogen (N) footprint, defined as the emissions of reactive N due to the consumption of an individual or other entity. Here, we present a method to estimate the N footprint of Swedish food consumption, using a detailed inventory of agricultural production, food and feed processing, food waste, waste management, and wastewater treatment. Limitations of data sources and methods are discussed in detail. The estimated Swedish food N footprint is 12.1 kg N capita(-1) yr(-1), of which 42% is emitted in Swedish production, 38% in production abroad, 1% in consumer waste management, and 19% in wastewater treatment. Animal food products account for 81% of the food N footprint and 70% of the protein intake. Average protein intake exceeds nutritional requirements by about 60%, which suggests that at least 35% reduction of food-related reactive N emissions could be achieved through dietary change. Of the apparent food N consumption (6.9 kg N capita(-1) yr(-1)), about 22% is food waste N (1.5 kg N capita(-1) yr(-1)). We estimate that 76% of food waste N is unavoidable (bones and other parts not commonly eaten). Avoidable food waste is about 7% of the edible food supply, implying that a hypothetical complete elimination of food waste would reduce emissions by about 7%. In summary, we present a detailed method, discuss its limitations, and demonstrate possible uses of the N footprint as a complement to existing territorial and sectoral environmental indicators.