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Environmental assessment of diets : overview and guidance on indicator choice

Ran, Ylva ; Cederberg, Christel ; Jonell, Malin ; Bergman, Kristina ; De Boer, Imke J.M. ; Einarsson, Rasmus ; Karlsson, Johan ; Potter, Hanna Karlsson ; Martin, Michael and Metson, Geneviève S. , et al. (2024) In The Lancet Planetary Health 8(3). p.172-187
Abstract

Comprehensive but interpretable assessment of the environmental performance of diets involves choosing a set of appropriate indicators. Current knowledge and data gaps on the origin of dietary foodstuffs restrict use of indicators relying on site-specific information. This Personal View summarises commonly used indicators for assessing the environmental performance of diets, briefly outlines their benefits and drawbacks, and provides recommendations on indicator choices for actors across multiple fields involved in activities that include the environmental assessment of diets. We then provide recommendations on indicator choices for actors across multiple fields involved in activities that use environmental assessments, such as health... (More)

Comprehensive but interpretable assessment of the environmental performance of diets involves choosing a set of appropriate indicators. Current knowledge and data gaps on the origin of dietary foodstuffs restrict use of indicators relying on site-specific information. This Personal View summarises commonly used indicators for assessing the environmental performance of diets, briefly outlines their benefits and drawbacks, and provides recommendations on indicator choices for actors across multiple fields involved in activities that include the environmental assessment of diets. We then provide recommendations on indicator choices for actors across multiple fields involved in activities that use environmental assessments, such as health and nutrition experts, policy makers, decision makers, and private-sector and public-sector sustainability officers. We recommend that environmental assessment of diets should include indicators for at least the five following areas: climate change, biosphere integrity, blue water consumption, novel entities, and impacts on natural resources (especially wild fish stocks), to capture important environmental trade-offs. If more indicators can be handled in the assessment, indicators to capture impacts related to land use quantity and quality and green water consumption should be used. For ambitious assessments, indicators related to biogeochemical flows, stratospheric ozone depletion, and energy use can be added.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
The Lancet Planetary Health
volume
8
issue
3
pages
172 - 187
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:38453383
  • scopus:85186732178
ISSN
2542-5196
DOI
10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00006-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4c98bc54-1169-49a8-b135-21b37f9b23c1
date added to LUP
2024-03-15 12:45:11
date last changed
2024-04-12 08:08:54
@article{4c98bc54-1169-49a8-b135-21b37f9b23c1,
  abstract     = {{<p>Comprehensive but interpretable assessment of the environmental performance of diets involves choosing a set of appropriate indicators. Current knowledge and data gaps on the origin of dietary foodstuffs restrict use of indicators relying on site-specific information. This Personal View summarises commonly used indicators for assessing the environmental performance of diets, briefly outlines their benefits and drawbacks, and provides recommendations on indicator choices for actors across multiple fields involved in activities that include the environmental assessment of diets. We then provide recommendations on indicator choices for actors across multiple fields involved in activities that use environmental assessments, such as health and nutrition experts, policy makers, decision makers, and private-sector and public-sector sustainability officers. We recommend that environmental assessment of diets should include indicators for at least the five following areas: climate change, biosphere integrity, blue water consumption, novel entities, and impacts on natural resources (especially wild fish stocks), to capture important environmental trade-offs. If more indicators can be handled in the assessment, indicators to capture impacts related to land use quantity and quality and green water consumption should be used. For ambitious assessments, indicators related to biogeochemical flows, stratospheric ozone depletion, and energy use can be added.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ran, Ylva and Cederberg, Christel and Jonell, Malin and Bergman, Kristina and De Boer, Imke J.M. and Einarsson, Rasmus and Karlsson, Johan and Potter, Hanna Karlsson and Martin, Michael and Metson, Geneviève S. and Nemecek, Thomas and Nicholas, Kimberly A. and Strand, Åsa and Tidåker, Pernilla and Van der Werf, Hayo and Vanham, Davy and Van Zanten, Hannah H.E. and Verones, Francesca and Röös, Elin}},
  issn         = {{2542-5196}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{172--187}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{The Lancet Planetary Health}},
  title        = {{Environmental assessment of diets : overview and guidance on indicator choice}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00006-8}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00006-8}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}