Food consumption and waste and the embedded carbon, water and ecological footprints of households in China

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2015-10, Vol.529, p.191-197
• Main Authors: Song, Guobao, Li, Mingjing, Semakula, Henry Musoke, Zhang, Shushen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon; Carbon footprint; Carbon Footprint - statistics & numerical data; China; Consumption; Correlation; Ecological footprint; Ecology; Environmental Monitoring; Family Characteristics; Food - statistics & numerical data; Food consumption; Food waste; Foods; Footprints; Garbage; Household; Households; Housing - trends; Humans; Triticum aestivum; Wastes; Water footprint
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.068

Strategies for reducing food waste and developing sustainable diets require information about the impacts of consumption behavior and waste generation on climatic, water, and land resources. We quantified the carbon, water, and ecological footprints of 17,110 family members of Chinese households, covering 1935 types of foods, by combining survey data with available life-cycle assessment data sets. We also summarized the patterns of both food consumption and waste generation and analyzed the factors influencing the observed trends. The average person wasted (consumed) 16 (415) kg of food at home annually, equivalent to 40 (1080) kg CO2e, 18 (673) m3, and 173 (4956) gm2 for the carbon, water and ecological footprints, respectively. The generation of food waste was highly correlated with consumption for various food groups. For example, vegetables, rice, and wheat were consumed the most and accounted for the most waste. In addition to the three plant-derived food groups, pork and aquatic products also contributed greatly to embedded footprints. The data obtained in this study could be used for assessing national food security or the carrying capacity of resources. [Display omitted] •We calculate the carbon, water, and ecological footprints of food consumption and waste of household in China.•Lower per capita food wastage and environmental footprints of household in China is offset by its large population.•Rice, pork, and vegetables contribute most to overall environmental footprints of food consumption.•Composition of food-waste and environmental footprints in China differs from that in developed countries.•Demographic factors influence environmental footprints of dining behaviors greatly.