Material intensity of food production and consumption

All food systems rely upon natural resources and can generate significant environmental impacts. Due to the increasing demand for food and biomass, improving resource efficiency of food production and consumption is a key issue for ensuring a sustainable development. Several methodologies for environmental impact assessment of food exist. The material intensity analysis is based on the MIPS (Material Input Per Service unit) indicator and assesses the life-cycle wide consumption of natural resources in relation to the benefit supplied, providing a resource efficiency measure of products and systems. The chapter illustrates how the methodology can be applied both from a production and consumption perspective, through application examples from different studies.

MANCINI Lucia;  LETTENMEIER Michael; 

2016-03-01

John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

JRC95074

978-1-118-93394-7,   

http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-111893394X.html,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC95074,