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Trade and the role of non-food commodities for global eutrophication

Author

Listed:
  • Helen A. Hamilton

    (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

  • Diana Ivanova

    (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

  • Konstantin Stadler

    (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

  • Stefano Merciai

    (Aalborg University)

  • Jannick Schmidt

    (Aalborg University)

  • Rosalie Zelm

    (Radboud University)

  • Daniel Moran

    (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

  • Richard Wood

    (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

The oversupply of nutrients (phosphorous and nitrogen) in fresh and marine water bodies presents a serious ecosystem threat due to impacts on water quality through eutrophication. With agriculture characterized as a primary driver of eutrophication, the role of food consumption and trade has been the focus of recent phosphorus and nitrogen impact studies. However, the environmental impacts associated with non-food commodities are significant and yet to be characterized. Here, we link a spatially explicit treatment of phosphorous and nitrogen eutrophication potentials to a multi-regional input–output approach to characterize the importance of overall consumption for marine and freshwater eutrophication across 44 countries and 5 rest-of-world regions over the period 2000–2011. We find that clothing, goods for shelter, services and other manufactured products account for 35% of global marine eutrophication and 38% of the global freshwater eutrophication footprints in 2011, up from 31 and 33%, respectively, in 2000. Relative to food consumption, non-food consumption is also significantly more income elastic and shaped by trade. As economies develop, this points to the need for trade agreements and policies to consider the displacement of ecosystem impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Helen A. Hamilton & Diana Ivanova & Konstantin Stadler & Stefano Merciai & Jannick Schmidt & Rosalie Zelm & Daniel Moran & Richard Wood, 2018. "Trade and the role of non-food commodities for global eutrophication," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(6), pages 314-321, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:1:y:2018:i:6:d:10.1038_s41893-018-0079-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-018-0079-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Bjelle, Eivind Lekve & Kuipers, Koen & Verones, Francesca & Wood, Richard, 2021. "Trends in national biodiversity footprints of land use," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    2. Bjelle, Eivind Lekve & Wiebe, Kirsten S. & Többen, Johannes & Tisserant, Alexandre & Ivanova, Diana & Vita, Gibran & Wood, Richard, 2021. "Future changes in consumption: The income effect on greenhouse gas emissions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    3. Eivind Lekve Bjelle & Johannes Többen & Konstantin Stadler & Thomas Kastner & Michaela C. Theurl & Karl-Heinz Erb & Kjartan-Steen Olsen & Kirsten S. Wiebe & Richard Wood, 2020. "Adding country resolution to EXIOBASE: impacts on land use embodied in trade," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-25, December.
    4. Kan, Siyi & Chen, Bin & Han, Mengyao & Hayat, Tasawar & Alsulami, Hamed & Chen, Guoqian, 2021. "China’s forest land use change in the globalized world economy: Foreign trade and unequal household consumption," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    5. Giacomo Falchetta & Nicolò Golinucci & Matteo Vincenzo Rocco, 2021. "Environmental and Energy Implications of Meat Consumption Pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-22, June.

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