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Energy Analysis of the Danish Food Production System: Food-EROI and Fossil Fuel Dependency

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  • Mads V. Markussen

    (Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark)

  • Hanne Østergård

    (Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark)

Abstract

Modern food production depends on limited natural resources for providing energy and fertilisers. We assess the fossil fuel dependency for the Danish food production system by means of Food Energy Returned on fossil Energy Invested (Food-EROI) and by the use of energy intensive nutrients from imported livestock feed and commercial fertilisers. The analysis shows that the system requires 221 PJ of fossil energy per year and that for each joule of fossil energy invested in farming, processing and transportation, 0.25 J of food energy is produced; 0.28 when crediting for produced bioenergy. Furthermore, nutrients in commercial fertiliser and imported feed account for 84%, 90% and 90% of total supply of N, P and K, respectively. We conclude that the system is unsustainable because it is embedded in a highly fossil fuel dependent system based on a non-circular flow of nutrients. As energy and thus nutrient constraints may develop in the coming decades, the current system may need to adapt by reducing use of fossil energy at the farm and for transportation of food and feed. An operational strategy may be to relocalise the supply of energy, nutrients, feed and food.

Suggested Citation

  • Mads V. Markussen & Hanne Østergård, 2013. "Energy Analysis of the Danish Food Production System: Food-EROI and Fossil Fuel Dependency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(8), pages 1-17, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:6:y:2013:i:8:p:4170-4186:d:28019
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    3. Bartłomiej Bajan & Joanna Łukasiewicz & Agnieszka Poczta-Wajda & Walenty Poczta, 2021. "Edible Energy Production and Energy Return on Investment—Long-Term Analysis of Global Changes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, February.
    4. Souhil Harchaoui & Petros Chatzimpiros, 2018. "Energy, Nitrogen, and Farm Surplus Transitions in Agriculture from Historical Data Modeling. France, 1882–2013," Post-Print hal-02999180, HAL.
    5. Zhaoyang Kong & Xiucheng Dong & Bo Xu & Rui Li & Qiang Yin & Cuifang Song, 2015. "EROI Analysis for Direct Coal Liquefaction without and with CCS: The Case of the Shenhua DCL Project in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-22, January.
    6. Reynir Smari Atlason & Ragnar Ingi Danner & Runar Unnthorsson & Gudmundur Valur Oddsson & Fernando Sustaeta & Ragnheidur Thorarinsdottir, 2017. "Energy Return on Investment for Aquaponics: Case Studies from Iceland and Spain," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-12, March.
    7. Alherbawi, Mohammad & AlNouss, Ahmed & McKay, Gordon & Al-Ansari, Tareq, 2021. "Optimum sustainable utilisation of the whole fruit of Jatropha curcas: An energy, water and food nexus approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    8. Willi Haas & Hailemariam Birke Andarge, 2017. "More Energy and Less Work, but New Crises: How the Societal Metabolism-Labour Nexus Changes from Agrarian to Industrial Societies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-21, June.
    9. Florian Ahrens & Johann Land & Susan Krumdieck, 2022. "Decarbonization of Nitrogen Fertilizer: A Transition Engineering Desk Study for Agriculture in Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-24, July.
    10. Daniel Hoehn & María Margallo & Jara Laso & Isabel García-Herrero & Alba Bala & Pere Fullana-i-Palmer & Angel Irabien & Rubén Aldaco, 2019. "Energy Embedded in Food Loss Management and in the Production of Uneaten Food: Seeking a Sustainable Pathway," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-19, February.
    11. Gathorne-Hardy, Alfred & Reddy, D. Narasimha & Venkatanarayana, M. & Harriss-White, Barbara, 2016. "System of Rice Intensification provides environmental and economic gains but at the expense of social sustainability — A multidisciplinary analysis in India," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 159-168.
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