IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i19p12274-d926906.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Comparison of the Mediterranean Diet and Current Food Patterns in Italy: A Life Cycle Thinking Approach for a Sustainable Consumption

Author

Listed:
  • Giuliana Vinci

    (Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Lucia Maddaloni

    (Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Sabrina Antonia Prencipe

    (Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Marco Ruggeri

    (Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Maria Vittoria Di Loreto

    (Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

The transition toward more sustainable food systems, which already represents a central element of the European Farm to Fork and Green Deal strategies, could be an effective measure to contribute to global decarbonization and greenhouse gas (GHGs) reduction goals; concurrently, it could improve the health status and nutrition of the global population. In this context, the Mediterranean diet (MD) could play a considerable role, as it is generally recognized as a more balanced, healthy, and sustainable eating pattern than Western consumption patterns, which are characterized by excess food and high energy content, thus causing undesirable effects on both human health and the environment. Although traditionally linked to MD, Italy sees relatively moderate adherence by its citizens, as they consume about +75% of the daily caloric intake recommended by MD. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively assess the potential environmental, economic, and health impacts of this lower adherence to MD by Italians. Current Italian Food Patterns (CIFP) in 2019 were analyzed and compared to the MD recommended amounts through a Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) approach (LCA) and carbon footprint (CF) analysis. The results show that CIFP, compared to MD, has +133% greater impacts on the environmental macro-area, +100% greater impacts on the human health macro-area, and +59% greater impacts on the economic macro-area (with annual fossil and mineral resource savings of $53.35 per person, $3.2 billion per year). The analysis also shows that CIFP has a CF of 6.54 × 10 1 kg CO 2 eq, +142% over MD (2.7 × 10 1 kg CO 2 eq), resulting in a lower environmental impact of the Mediterranean diet.

Suggested Citation

  • Giuliana Vinci & Lucia Maddaloni & Sabrina Antonia Prencipe & Marco Ruggeri & Maria Vittoria Di Loreto, 2022. "A Comparison of the Mediterranean Diet and Current Food Patterns in Italy: A Life Cycle Thinking Approach for a Sustainable Consumption," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12274-:d:926906
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/12274/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/12274/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Farah Naja & Leila Itani & Rena Hamade & Marie Claire Chamieh & Nahla Hwalla, 2019. "Mediterranean Diet and Its Environmental Footprints Amid Nutrition Transition: The Case of Lebanon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Christopher H. Trisos & Cory Merow & Alex L. Pigot, 2020. "The projected timing of abrupt ecological disruption from climate change," Nature, Nature, vol. 580(7804), pages 496-501, April.
    3. Roberto Ruggieri & Giuliana Vinci & Marco Ruggeri & Henry Sardaryan, 2020. "Food losses and food waste: The Industry 4.0 opportunity for the sustainability challenge," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 159-177.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Viktoria Mannheim & Judit Lovasné Avató, 2023. "Life-Cycle Assessments of Meat-Free and Meat-Containing Diets by Integrating Sustainability and Lean: Meat-Free Dishes Are Sustainable," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-24, August.
    2. Giuliana Vinci & Sabrina Antonia Prencipe & Federica Armeli & Rita Businaro, 2023. "A Multimethodological Approach for the Valorization of “Senatore Cappelli” Wheat Milling By-Products as a Source of Bioactive Compounds and Nutraceutical Activity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-22, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gabriele Paolinelli & Marco Cei & Nicoletta Cristiani & Ludovica Marinaro & Flavia Veronesi, 2022. "Don’t Split Them Up! Landscape Design of Multifunctional Open Spaces Suitable for Coping with Flash Floods and River Floods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, February.
    2. Hametner, Markus, 2022. "Economics without ecology: How the SDGs fail to align socioeconomic development with environmental sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    3. Yuliya G. Leskova & Irina K. Kuzmina & Tahir E. Rakhmatullin & Natalia V. Dzhagaryan & Denis A. Popyrkin & Vera N. Kolodkina, 2020. "Economic and Legal Aspects for Construction Business to Ensure Environmental Safety by Self-Regulating Organizations: The Case of Russia," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(4), pages 20-29.
    4. Beverly E. Law & William R. Moomaw & Tara W. Hudiburg & William H. Schlesinger & John D. Sterman & George M. Woodwell, 2022. "Creating Strategic Reserves to Protect Forest Carbon and Reduce Biodiversity Losses in the United States," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-15, May.
    5. Farah Naja & Nahla Hwalla & Anas El Zouhbi & Nada Abbas & Marie Claire Chamieh & Lara Nasreddine & Lamis Jomaa, 2020. "Changes in Environmental Footprints Associated with Dietary Intake of Lebanese Adolescents between the Years 1997 and 2009," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, June.
    6. Holli-Anne Passmore & Ashley N. Krause, 2023. "The Beyond-Human Natural World: Providing Meaning and Making Meaning," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-14, June.
    7. Coline C. F. Boonman & Josep M. Serra-Diaz & Selwyn Hoeks & Wen-Yong Guo & Brian J. Enquist & Brian Maitner & Yadvinder Malhi & Cory Merow & Robert Buitenwerf & Jens-Christian Svenning, 2024. "More than 17,000 tree species are at risk from rapid global change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Méjean, Aurélie & Pottier, Antonin & Zuber, Stéphane & Fleurbaey, Marc, 2023. "Opposite ethical views converge under the threat of catastrophic climate change," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    9. Sandra Garcés-Pastor & Eric Coissac & Sébastien Lavergne & Christoph Schwörer & Jean-Paul Theurillat & Peter D. Heintzman & Owen S. Wangensteen & Willy Tinner & Fabian Rey & Martina Heer & Astrid Rutz, 2022. "High resolution ancient sedimentary DNA shows that alpine plant diversity is associated with human land use and climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    10. Lamis Jomaa & Lara Nasreddine & Farah Naja & Lara Chehade & Nahla Hwalla, 2021. "Sustainable, Healthy and Affordable Diets for Children in Lebanon: A Call for Action in Dire Times," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-18, November.
    11. Sara Baldassano & Anna Alioto & Alessandra Amato & Carlo Rossi & Giulia Messina & Maria Roberta Bruno & Roberta Stallone & Patrizia Proia, 2023. "Fighting the Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mindfulness, Exercise, and Nutrition Practices to Reduce Eating Disorders and Promote Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, January.
    12. Maolin Li & Yongxun Zhang & Changhong Miao & Lulu He & Jiatao Chen, 2022. "Centennial Change and Source–Sink Interaction Process of Traditional Agricultural Landscape: Case from Xin’an Traditional Cherry Cultivation System (1920–2020)," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-22, October.
    13. Daijun Liu & Philipp Semenchuk & Franz Essl & Bernd Lenzner & Dietmar Moser & Tim M. Blackburn & Phillip Cassey & Dino Biancolini & César Capinha & Wayne Dawson & Ellie E. Dyer & Benoit Guénard & Evan, 2023. "The impact of land use on non-native species incidence and number in local assemblages worldwide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    14. Chen, Jiandong & Xu, Chong & Huang, Shuo & Shen, Zhiyang & Song, Malin & Wang, Shiqi, 2022. "Adjusted carbon intensity in China: Trend, driver, and network," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    15. Meiling Yin & Hanna Choi & Eun-Ju Lee, 2022. "Can Climate Change Awaken Ecological Consciousness? A Neuroethical Approach to Green Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-17, November.
    16. Yanqing Xu & Yan Liu & Ruidun Chen & Yifei Meng & Kenan Li & Cong Fu, 2023. "Study on the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and driving mechanism of China’s carbon emissions," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    17. Li, Ye & Chen, Yiyan, 2021. "Development of an SBM-ML model for the measurement of green total factor productivity: The case of pearl river delta urban agglomeration," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    18. Yonghua Li & Xinyi Ding & Song Yao & Bo Zhang & Hezhou Jiang & Junshen Zhang & Xinwei Liu, 2024. "Multiscale Ecological Zoning Management with Coupled Ecosystem Service Bundles and Supply–Demand Balance, the Case of Hangzhou, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-25, March.
    19. Yusuke Satoh & Kei Yoshimura & Yadu Pokhrel & Hyungjun Kim & Hideo Shiogama & Tokuta Yokohata & Naota Hanasaki & Yoshihide Wada & Peter Burek & Edward Byers & Hannes Müller Schmied & Dieter Gerten & S, 2022. "The timing of unprecedented hydrological drought under climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    20. Gaspar Manzanera-Benito & Iñigo Capellán-Pérez, 2021. "Mapping the Energy Flows and GHG Emissions of a Medium-Size City: The Case of Valladolid (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-29, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12274-:d:926906. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.