relation: https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/51851/
title: Circularity in Europe strengthens the sustainability of the global food system
creator: van Zanten, H.H.E.
creator: Simon, W.
creator: van Selm, B.
creator: Wacker, J.
creator: Maindl, T.I.
creator: Frehner, A.
creator: Hijbeek, R.
creator: van Ittersum, M.K.
creator: Herrero, M.
subject:  Food security, food quality and human health
subject:  Air and water emissions
subject:  Biodiversity and ecosystem services
description: Redesigning the European food system on the basis of circularity principles could bring environmental benefits for Europe and the world. Here we deploy a biophysical optimization model to explore the effects of adopting three circularity scenarios in the European Union (EU)27 + UK. We calculate a potential reduction of 71% in agricultural land use and 29% per capita in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, while producing enough healthy food within a self-sufficient European food system. Under global food shortages, savings in agricultural land could be used to feed an additional 767 million people outside the EU (+149%), while reducing per capita greenhouse gas emissions by 38% but increasing overall emissions by 55% due to the increased population served. Transitioning the EU’s food system towards circularity implies sequential changes among all its components and has great potential to safeguard human and planetary health.
date: 2023
type: Journal paper
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
language: en
rights: cc_by_4
identifier: /id/eprint/51851/1/vanZanten-etal-2023-NatureFood-Vol4-p220-330.pdf
identifier:    van Zanten, H.H.E.; Simon, W.; van Selm, B.; Wacker, J.; Maindl, T.I.; Frehner, A.; Hijbeek, R.; van Ittersum, M.K. and Herrero, M.   (2023) Circularity in Europe strengthens the sustainability of the global food system.   Nature Food, 4, pp. 320-330.        
relation: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00734-9
identifier: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00734-9
identifier: info:doi/https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00734-9