Integrating Life Cycle and Impact Assessments to Map Food's Cumulative Environmental Footprint

Caitlin D. Kuempel*, Melanie Frazier, Kirsty L. Nash, Nis Sand Jacobsen, David R. Williams, Julia L. Blanchard, Richard S. Cottrell, Peter B. McIntyre, Daniel Moran, Lex Bouwman, Halley E. Froehlich, Jessica A. Gephart, Marc Metian, Johannes Többen, Benjamin S. Halpern

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Producing food exerts pressures on the environment. Understanding the location and magnitude of food production is key to reducing the impacts of these pressures on nature and people. In this Perspective, Kuempel et al. outline an approach for integrating life cycle assessment and cumulative impact mapping data and methodologies to map the cumulative environmental pressure of food systems. The approach enables quantification of current and potential future environmental pressures, which are needed to reduce the net impact of feeding humanity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)65-78
Number of pages14
JournalOne Earth
Volume3
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 Jul 2020

Keywords

  • cradle-to-gate
  • cumulative impact
  • environmental cost
  • environmental impact
  • environmental pressure
  • food production
  • food security
  • sustainability

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