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An Integrated Approach to a Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) Indicator for the Food Production–Consumption Chain

Author

Listed:
  • Jan Willem Erisman

    (Louis Bolk Institute, Driebergen 3972LA, The Netherlands
    Faculty of Science, Earth and Climate, VU University, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands)

  • Allison Leach

    (Department of Natural & The Environment and The Sustainability Institute, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA)

  • Albert Bleeker

    (Energy Research Center of the Netherlands, Petten 1755LE, The Netherlands
    Current address: PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague 2594AV, The Netherlands.)

  • Brooke Atwell

    (Department of Environmental Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA)

  • Lia Cattaneo

    (Department of Environmental Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA)

  • James Galloway

    (Department of Environmental Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA)

Abstract

Reducing nitrogen pollution across the food chain requires the use of clear and comprehensive indicators to track and manage losses. The challenge is to derive an easy-to-use robust nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) indicator for entire food systems to help support policy development, monitor progress and inform consumers. Based on a comparison of four approaches to NUE (life cycle analysis, nitrogen footprint, nitrogen budget, and environmental impact assessment), we propose an indicator for broader application at the national scale: The whole food chain (NUE FC ), which is defined as the ratio of the protein (expressed as nitrogen) available for human consumption to the (newly fixed and imported) nitrogen input to the food system. The NUE FC was calculated for a set of European countries between 1980 and 2011. A large variation in NUE FC was observed within countries in Europe, ranging from 10% in Ireland to 40% in Italy in 2008. The NUE FC can be used to identify factors that influence it (e.g., the share of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in new nitrogen, the imported and exported products and the consumption), which can be used to propose potential improvements on the national scale.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Willem Erisman & Allison Leach & Albert Bleeker & Brooke Atwell & Lia Cattaneo & James Galloway, 2018. "An Integrated Approach to a Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) Indicator for the Food Production–Consumption Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-29, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:925-:d:137593
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Thomassen, M.A. & van Calker, K.J. & Smits, M.C.J. & Iepema, G.L. & de Boer, I.J.M., 2008. "Life cycle assessment of conventional and organic milk production in the Netherlands," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 96(1-3), pages 95-107, March.
    2. Pierer, Magdalena & Winiwarter, Wilfried & Leach, Allison M. & Galloway, James N., 2014. "The nitrogen footprint of food products and general consumption patterns in Austria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 128-136.
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    Cited by:

    1. Aleksandr Briukhanov & Eduard Vasilev & Natalia Kozlova & Ekaterina Shalavina, 2021. "Assessment of Nitrogen Flows at Farm and Regional Level When Developing the Manure Management System for Large-Scale Livestock Enterprises in North-West Russia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, June.

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