Estimation of the Contribution to the GWP of Food Loss and Waste (FL&W) in Argentina

Abstract

The food system is very complex: food needs to be grown and processed, transported, distributed, prepared, consumed, and disposed of. The system strongly contributes to many environmental impacts that concern humanity. Not all the produced food serves to feed a human being, because its quality is not suitable enough, or because its quantity has decreased along the supply chain. Therefore, a portion of the environmental impact caused is associated with lost and wasted food. In this chapter, as a contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals SDG2 (zero hunger), SDG12 (responsible consumption and production), and SDG13 (climate action), a first estimate of the greenhouse gas emission reductions that could be obtained by eliminating Food Losses and Wastes in Argentina is presented. The estimation was performed applying Life Cycle Assessment to the main food products consumed in the country and specific FL&W coefficients by food category. The final impact was obtained for each stage of the productive chain (primary and industrial production, transport, and consumption) of 44 food products grouped into six categories: meat and animal protein, fruits, milk and dairy products, vegetables, oils, cereals, and roots and tubers. The food category with the highest Global Warming Potential (GWP) value is meat and animal protein, followed by milk and dairy products. A 16% reduction in the impact of Argentine food on climate change could be achieved by simply reducing FL&W at different stages of the production chain.