Papers by Bradley Ridoutt
Journal of Cleaner Production, Jul 1, 2020
Croplands are a scarce natural resource and there is a need to limit further expansion of croplan... more Croplands are a scarce natural resource and there is a need to limit further expansion of croplands to avoid biodiversity losses and other undesirable earth system changes. This has led to the emergence of the cropland footprint as a sustainability indicator that links the production and consumption of goods and services to cropland demand. However, croplands are heterogeneous in productivity and in local environmental context. Using a 1.1 km 2 spatial resolution map of agricultural production, three cropland footprint indicators were quantified using life cycle impact assessment models for 34 agricultural commodities grown or imported in Australia: cropland scarcity footprint, cropland malnutrition footprint and cropland biodiversity footprint. Although the different cropland footprint results were positively correlated with each other and with a simple assessment of cropland occupation, the relative assessment of different commodities varied substantially. At the scale of the national food system, cropland occupation explained only one third of the variation between commodities in cropland biodiversity footprint. As such, cropland occupation is not a fit-for-purpose indicator to inform about environmental performance. Cropland footprints that address specific environmental concerns using impact assessment models are recommended. These findings have important implications for strategic action to address the environmental challenges related to cropland use, and the development of sustainable diets.
In many parts of the world, freshwater is already a scarce and overexploited natural resource, ra... more In many parts of the world, freshwater is already a scarce and overexploited natural resource, raising concerns about global food security and damage to freshwater ecosystems. This situation is expected to intensify with the FAO estimating that world food production must double by 2050. Food chains must therefore become much more efficient in terms of consumptive water use. For the small and geographically welldefined Australian mango industry, having an average annual production of 44 692 t of marketable fresh fruit, the average virtual water content (sum of green, blue and gray water) at orchard gate was 2298 l kg −1. However, due to wastage in the distribution and consumption stages of the product life cycle, the average virtual water content of one kg of Australian-grown fresh mango consumed by an Australian household was 5218 l. This latter figure compares to an Australian-equivalent water footprint of 217 l kg −1 , which is the volume of direct water use by an Australian household having an equivalent potential to contribute to water scarcity. Nationally, distribution and consumption waste in the food chain of Australian-grown fresh mango to Australian households represented an annual waste of 26.7 Gl of green water and 16.6 Gl of blue water. These findings suggest that interventions to reduce food chain waste will likely have as great or even greater impact on freshwater resource availability as other water use efficiency measures in agriculture and food production.
Advances in Nutrition, Nov 1, 2017
The food system is a major source of environmental impact, and dietary change has been recommende... more The food system is a major source of environmental impact, and dietary change has been recommended as an important and necessary strategy to reduce this impact. However, assessing the environmental performance of diets is complex due to the many types of foods eaten and the diversity of agricultural production systems and local environmental settings. To assess the state of science and identify knowledge gaps, an integrative review of the broad topic of environment and diet was undertaken, with particular focus on the completeness of coverage of environmental concerns and the metrics used. Compared with the 14 discrete environmental areas of concern identified in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the located journal literature mainly addressed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and, to a lesser extent, land and water use. Some relevant concerns were rarely addressed or not addressed at all. In the case of GHG emissions, changes in land use and soil carbon stocks were seldom considered. This represents a disconnect between the science informing strategic climate action in the agricultural sector and the science informing public health nutrition. In the case of land and water use, few studies used metrics that are appropriate in a life-cycle context. Some metrics produce inherently biased results, which misinform about environmental impact. The limited evidence generally points to recommended diets having lower environmental impacts than typical diets, although not in every case. This is largely explained by the overconsumption of food energy associated with average diets, which is also a major driver of obesity. A shared-knowledge framework is identified as being needed to guide future research on this topic. Until the evidence base becomes more complete, commentators on sustainable diets should not be quick to assume that a dietary strategy to reduce overall environmental impact can be readily defined or recommended.
Journal of Cleaner Production, May 1, 2017
Letter to the editor Dietary strategies to reduce environmental impact must be nutritionally comp... more Letter to the editor Dietary strategies to reduce environmental impact must be nutritionally complete Notarnicola et al. (2017) present a detailed life cycle inventory for a basket of food products representative of EU consumption. The article is an important contribution. There are very many life cycle assessment studies of specific agricultural and food products and quite a few studies assessing diets with only one or a limited selection of impact category indicators. In contrast, this study involves a representative diet as well as the application of a complete life cycle impact assessment methodology. As such, the article offers new insights in terms of hotspots of environmental impact across the food system and further understanding of the relative importance of different impact categories, elaborated in Castellani et al. (2017). Our concerns relate specifically to the two dietary strategies that are presented as examples of ways to reduce food system environmental impacts and achieve healthier diets. These strategies, adopted from Westhoek et al. (2014), involve a 25% or 50% reduction in the consumption of beef, dairy, pig meat, poultry and eggs, which is compensated by a corresponding 25% or 50% higher intake of cereals, namely bread. Not surprisingly, impacts are reported to decrease for all impact categories. After all, in the first scenario 44.3 kg/capita/yr of food consumption is taken out of the diet and 9.7 kg/cap/yr of consumption of bread is added, resulting in a net subtraction from the diet of 34.6 kg/capita/yr. In the second scenario the net subtraction of food is an even greater 67.6 kg/capita/yr. It is well established, at least for greenhouse gases, that emissions are significantly and positively correlated with total intake (Vieux et al., 2012; Hendrie et al., 2016). That said, our greater concern relates to the nutritional implications of the modelled dietary strategies. While western diets, on average, are characterised by their excessive consumption of food energy, they also fail, on average, to reach recommended intake levels for various micronutrients. In Europe, high prevalence of inadequate intake of vitamin C, vitamin D, folate, calcium, selenium and iodine have been reported (Mensink et al., 2013; Kaganov et al., 2015). In Australia, a country where western diets also prevail, usual nutrient intakes fail to reach recommended intake levels for calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, iron and zinc for some age and gender subgroups of the population (ABS, 2015). The problem with the dietary strategies used as examples by Notarnicola et al. No conflict of interest is declared in the preparation of this letter. Previous studies were financially supported by a variety of agricultural and food industry organisations including Meat and Livestock Australia (Sydney, Australia).
Agricultural Systems, Sep 1, 2013
This study presented a life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts of the production of th... more This study presented a life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts of the production of three crops (rice, wheat, and maize) in the Chaohu Watershed of China. The crop production system involved phosphate rock mining, P fertilizer manufacturing, crop cultivating, and crop processing. Resource depletion, climate change, and eutrophication were examined. The functional unit chosen was 1 ha of cultivated land. The results showed that phosphate rock mining and P fertilizer manufacturing had been the main contributors to P resource depletion, representing shares of 57.40% and 25.86%, respectively. Large quantities of extracted phosphate raw rock and manufactured fertilizer for heavy fertilizer application were identified as the main causes of these effects. Rice crop had depleted the largest share of P resources, as it required the highest level of fertilizer use. Crop cultivation and processing were found to be particularly influential in terms of climate change effects, representing shares of 45.37% and 41.70%, respectively. This had mainly result from high fertilizer and electricity use for crop cultivation and processing, respectively. When processing maize for flour production, higher levels of electricityproducing greenhouse gases were consumed than those consumed for the other two crops. Moreover, crop cultivation accounted for 71.22% of eutrophication processes due to high degrees of fertilizer application even though all three crops exhibit nearly identical eutrophication potentials. In turn, means of mitigating such impacts to increase the phosphorus use efficiency of this system were presented. The limitations of this study must also be examined and studied in the future.
Environmental Modelling and Software, Aug 1, 2013
ABSTRACT
Foods, May 25, 2016
As nations seek to address obesity and diet-related chronic disease, understanding shifts in food... more As nations seek to address obesity and diet-related chronic disease, understanding shifts in food intake over time is an imperative. However, quantifying intake of basic foods is not straightforward because of the diversity of raw and cooked wholefoods, processed foods and mixed dishes actually consumed. In this study, data from the Australian national nutrition surveys of 1995 and 2011, each involving more than 12,000 individuals and covering more than 4500 separate foods, were coherently disaggregated into basic foods, with cooking and processing factors applied where necessary. Although Australians are generally not eating in a manner consistent with national dietary guidelines, there have been several positive changes. Australians are eating more whole fruit, a greater diversity of vegetables, more beans, peas and pulses, less refined sugar, and they have increased their preference for brown and wholegrain cereals. Adult Australians have also increased their intake of nuts and seeds. Fruit juice consumption markedly declined, especially for younger Australians. Cocoa consumption increased and shifts in dairy product intake were mixed, reflecting one of several important differences between age and gender cohorts. This study sets the context for more detailed research at the level of specific foods to understand individual and household differences.
International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Nov 30, 2011
WATER USE IN LCA Water footprint of livestock: comparison of six geographically defined beef prod... more WATER USE IN LCA Water footprint of livestock: comparison of six geographically defined beef production systems Bradley G. Ridoutt & Peerasak Sanguansri & Michael Freer & Gregory S. Harper Received: 10 March 2011 /Accepted: 27 October 2011 © Springer-Verlag 2011 ...
Nutrients, Apr 25, 2020
Food systems vitally depend on croplands, which are a scarce natural resource. Croplands are also... more Food systems vitally depend on croplands, which are a scarce natural resource. Croplands are also heterogeneous, differing in productive capability and in environmental context. Some are in regions of high biodiversity conservation importance, others in regions vulnerable to food insecurity. In this study, life cycle assessment was used to quantify cropland scarcity footprints, cropland biodiversity footprints and cropland malnutrition footprints for 9341 individual Australian adult daily diets. Dietary cropland scarcity footprints averaged 7.1 m 2 yr-e person −1 day −1 , exceeding a target of 6.1 m 2 yr-e person −1 day −1 , consistent with the proposed global cropland planetary boundary of 15% of the ice-free land area. Discretionary foods, which are energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods high in saturated fat, added sugars and salt, and alcohol and are not essential to a healthy diet, made the largest contribution, followed by fresh meats and alternatives, breads and cereals, fruit, dairy and alternatives and vegetables. Around 45% of the variation in cropland footprint between individuals was explained by differences in total dietary energy intake. Diets characterised by higher diet quality and lower cropland scarcity footprint required only 4.2 m 2 yr-e person −1 day −1 and recommended diets based on the food choices of this subgroup required 5.9 m 2 yr-e person −1 day −1. Eating within the global cropland planetary boundary appears realistic if Australians greatly reduce their intake of discretionary foods and moderate their food choices within the "meat and alternatives" food group.
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2020
The food system is responsible for around 70% of global freshwater use. Pathways toward responsib... more The food system is responsible for around 70% of global freshwater use. Pathways toward responsible consumption and production of food are therefore critically needed to ensure the planetary boundary for freshwater use is not transgressed. There is also an uneven spatial distribution of freshwater resources and human water demands, meaning that water-scarcity is acute in some regions but a lesser concern in others. Quantifying the water-scarcity impacts associated with food consumption is therefore a complex challenge due to the diversity of individual eating patterns, the very large number of individual food products available, and the many different regions where food is grown or processed. To our knowledge, this is the first study to calculate water footprints for a large number of self-selected diets. Life cycle assessment was used to model the water-scarcity footprints of 9,341 individual Australian adult diets obtained through 24-hour recall as part of the most recent Australian Health Survey. Three water-scarcity indicators were used, including the AWARE model recently developed by a project group working under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) / Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Life Cycle Initiative (www.lifecycleinitiative.org). In addition, a diet quality score was calculated for each of these diets. Our objective was to identify pathways toward healthier diets with lower water-scarcity impacts. Dietary water-scarcity footprints averaged 362 L-eq person-1 day-1 and were highly variable (sd. 218 L-eq person-1 day-1), reflecting the diversity of eating habits in the general community. The largest waterscarcity impacts were related to the excessive consumption of discretionary foods (alcoholic beverages, processed meat products, dairy desserts, cream, butter, muesli bars, confectionery, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, waffles, fried potato and extruded snacks, etc.). The potential to reduce dietary water-scarcity impacts is large, although the opportunity to intervene through amended dietary guidelines is not straightforward due to the large variations in water-scarcity footprint intensity between individual foods within a food group, and the inability of consumers to identify lower water-scarcity footprint products without food labeling. Reductions in the waterscarcity footprint of Australian food consumption are likely best achieved through reductions in food waste, technological change to improve water-use efficiency in food production, as well as the implementation of product reformulation and procurement strategies in the food manufacturing sector to avoid higher water-scarcity footprint intensity ingredients.
European journal of nutrition, Apr 10, 2020
Purpose There is conflicting advice about the inclusion of dairy foods in a lower greenhouse gas ... more Purpose There is conflicting advice about the inclusion of dairy foods in a lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emission dietary pattern. Our purpose was to assess the prevalence of dairy food intake among higher diet quality and lower GHG emission diets in Australia and within these diets assess the association between level of dairy food intake and adequate intake of a broad range of nutrients. Methods Dietary intake data collected using a 24-h recall process were sourced from the most recent Australian Health Survey. Diet quality was assessed by level of compliance with the food group-based Australian Dietary Guidelines. A subgroup of 1732 adult (19 years and above) daily diets was identified having higher diet quality score and lower GHG emissions (HQLE). Intake of core dairy foods (milk, cheese, yoghurt) was assessed and nutrient profiling was undertaken for 42 macro-and micronutrients. Results The HQLE subgroup had 37% higher diet quality score and 43% lower GHG emissions than the average Australian adult diet (P < 0.05). Intake of dairy foods was very common (90% of HQLE diets) and greatly exceeded the intake of nondairy alternatives (1.53 serves compared to 0.04 serves). HQLE daily diets in the highest tertile of dairy food intake were more likely to achieve the recommended intake of a wide range of nutrients, including calcium, protein, riboflavin, vitamin B12, folate, phosphorous, magnesium, iodine and potassium compared to other HQLE daily diets. Conclusion Core dairy foods have an important role for achieving adequate nutrient intakes in a healthy and lower GHG emission dietary pattern in Australia.
Journal of Cleaner Production, Sep 1, 2009
... Water footprinting at the product brand level: case study and future challenges. ... Our rese... more ... Water footprinting at the product brand level: case study and future challenges. ... Our research concerns the application of water footprinting to two complex agrifood products manufactured by the multinational food company Mars in their Australian operations: Dolmio ® pasta ...
Public Health Nutrition, Jun 13, 2016
... For example, in the case of Dolmio® pasta sauce production, tomato growing consumes irrigatio... more ... For example, in the case of Dolmio® pasta sauce production, tomato growing consumes irrigation water. ... International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 13: 451-455. Koehler, A., Aoustin, E., Bayart, JB., Bulle, C., Margni, M., Pfister, S. and Vince, F. 2008. ...
BMC Public Health, Oct 19, 2022
Background: There is increasing focus on moving populations towards healthier and more environmen... more Background: There is increasing focus on moving populations towards healthier and more environmentally sustainable dietary patterns. The Australian Dietary Guidelines provide dietary patterns that promote health and wellbeing. It is unclear how these guidelines align with the more recently published global recommendations of the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Reference Diet, and how Australian diets compare to both sets of recommendations. Methods: Data from one 24-h recall collected for the 2011-13 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey were analysed for 5,920 adults aged 19-50 years. Subgroups of this population were identified by diet quality and lower or higher consumption of foods often considered to be environmentally intensive (higher animal meat and dairy foods) or associated with healthiness (higher vegetables and lower discretionary choices). Food group and nutrient composition of Australian diets were compared to diets modelled on the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Planetary Health Reference Diet. The environmental impacts of diets were estimated using an index of combined metrics. Results: Compared with the Planetary Health Reference Diet, the Australian Dietary Guidelines contained more servings of the vegetable, dairy and alternatives, fruit, and discretionary choices. The amount of meat and alternatives was higher in the Planetary Health Reference Diet than Australian Dietary Guidelines due to the inclusion of more plantbased meat alternatives. The average Australian diet contained two to almost four times the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Planetary Health Reference Diet maximum recommended intake of discretionary choices, and provided inadequate amounts of the vegetables, cereals, unsaturated fats and meats and alternatives food groups, primarily due to lower intakes of plant-based alternatives. The average Australian diet also contained less dairy and alternatives than the Australian Dietary Guidelines. In the average Australian diet, red meat and poultry contributed 73% to the total servings of meat and alternatives compared to 33% and 10% for the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Planetary Health Reference Diet respectively. The modelled Australian Dietary Guidelines diet met the relevant nutrient reference value for all 22 nutrients examined, whereas the Planetary Health Reference Diet contained an inadequate
Nutrition & Dietetics, Oct 4, 2022
Agricultural Water Management, Mar 1, 2018
Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, May 26, 2015
ABSTRACT With urban areas responsible for a significant share of total anthropogenic emissions, g... more ABSTRACT With urban areas responsible for a significant share of total anthropogenic emissions, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to land-use change (LUC) induced by peri-urban (PU) development have the potential to be considerable. Despite this, there is little research into the transition from PU cropland to housing in terms of contribution to global warming. This paper presents a cross-sectoral integrative method for prospective climate change evaluation of PU LUC. Specifically, direct LUC (dLUC) GHG emissions from converting PU cropland to greenfield housing were examined. Additionally, GHG emissions due to displaced crop production inducing indirect LUC (iLUC) elsewhere were assessed. GHG impacts of dLUC and iLUC were each determined to be approximately 8 per cent of total GHG emissions due to a greenfield housing development displacing PU cropland. This magnitude of dLUC and iLUC emissions suggests that both have importance in future land-use decision making with respect to PU environments. eprint link http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/iPje8mVFFTPcC4WVDGyv/full
International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Oct 1, 2021
Nutrients, Mar 29, 2021
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
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Papers by Bradley Ridoutt