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The carbon footprint of Danish diets

Author

Listed:
  • Morena Bruno

    (Aarhus University)

  • Marianne Thomsen

    (Aarhus University)

  • Federico Maria Pulselli

    (University of Siena)

  • Nicoletta Patrizi

    (University of Siena)

  • Michele Marini

    (Aarhus University)

  • Dario Caro

    (Aarhus University)

Abstract

The Danish diet is characterized by a high content of sugar, fat dairy products and red meat, and a low content of fruits and vegetables. As it is considered unhealthy and environmentally unfriendly, various alternatives to the standard Danish diet have been investigated and promoted in Denmark, such as the New Nordic Diet. By using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), this study estimates the carbon footprint (CF) of four different diet scenarios in Denmark: standard, carnivore, vegetarian and vegan. The LCA is applied to build a dataset of the 47 most widely eaten food and beverage products, which represent the average Danish eating habits and grouped into six food categories. Unlike most past LCA-based studies, where system boundaries are limited to the farm gate, this study covers all activities and relative use of materials and energy, from the food production phase to the final consumption (namely ‘from-cradle-to-fork’). We find that the highest CF value is associated with the carnivore diet, which has the highest impact (1.83 t CO2eq person−1 year−1). The vegan and vegetarian diets record the best profiles (0.89 and 1.37 t CO2eq person−1 year−1, respectively), whereas the standard Danish diet has a CF value of 1.59 t CO2eq person−1 year−1. We find that the food production phase is the most significant in terms of CF (65–85%). This study confirms that dietary preferences are a strong driver of CF. A comparison with CF associated with other diets suggests that a further research could provide a guidance to promote healthy eating patterns with adequate nutritional values and better environmental performances.

Suggested Citation

  • Morena Bruno & Marianne Thomsen & Federico Maria Pulselli & Nicoletta Patrizi & Michele Marini & Dario Caro, 2019. "The carbon footprint of Danish diets," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 156(4), pages 489-507, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:156:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s10584-019-02508-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-019-02508-4
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    2. Adam A. Prag & Christian B. Henriksen, 2020. "Transition from Animal-Based to Plant-Based Food Production to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture—The Case of Denmark," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-20, October.
    3. Philippos Karipidis & Sotiria Karypidou, 2021. "Factors that Impact Farmers’ Organic Conversion Decisions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-24, April.
    4. 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.
    5. Cavaliere, Alessia & De Marchi, Elisa & Frola, Enrica Nadia & Benfenati, Alessandro & Aletti, Giacomo & Bacenetti, Jacopo & Banterle, Alessandro, 2023. "Exploring the environmental impact associated with the abandonment of the Mediterranean Diet, and how to reduce it with alternative sustainable diets," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    6. Bauer, Jan M. & Aarestrup, Simon C. & Hansen, Pelle G. & Reisch, Lucia A., 2022. "Nudging more sustainable grocery purchases: Behavioural innovations in a supermarket setting," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    7. David Kilian & Ulrich Hamm, 2021. "Perceptions of Vegan Food among Organic Food Consumers Following Different Diets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-17, August.
    8. Anna Kustar & Dalia Patino-Echeverri, 2021. "A Review of Environmental Life Cycle Assessments of Diets: Plant-Based Solutions Are Truly Sustainable, even in the Form of Fast Foods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-22, September.

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