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Economic valuation of environmental costs of soil erosion and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services caused by food wastage

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  • Patrizia Schwegler

Abstract

Food wastage costs society far more than the direct economic loss of US$ 750 billion per year. When food is discarded, all embodied natural resources are wasted, too. The aim of this study is to estimate global environmental costs of soil erosion and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services caused by food wastage. Firstly, environmental indicators and their quantities such as soil erosion rates, N, P and pesticide inputs and land use changes to agricultural production were assessed through a literature review. After an extrapolation of this data, cost estimation studies about the indicators were used to apply benefit transfer method. Results were calculated by the multiplication of quantities and costs of indicators, by the food wastage volumes and their land occupation factors. Global environmental costs of water erosion resulted in US$ 18 billion globally and total costs of biodiversity and ecosystem services loss account for US$ 4.5 billion.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrizia Schwegler, 2015. "Economic valuation of environmental costs of soil erosion and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services caused by food wastage," Journal of Socio-Economics in Agriculture (Until 2015: Yearbook of Socioeconomics in Agriculture), Swiss Society for Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, vol. 8(2).
    • Handle: RePEc:cha:ysa001:v:8:y:2015:i:2
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