Greenhouse gas emissions related to Dutch food consumption

The consumption of food products involves emissions of greenhouse gases. Emissions occur in the various stages of the life cycle of food products. In this paper we discuss the greenhouse gas emissions, CO2, CH4, and N2O, related to Dutch household food consumption. Combinations of greenhouse gas intensities (per DB) with annual household expenditures results in the greenhouse gas emissions from annual food consumption. An energy analysis methodology is elaborated with greenhouse gas emissions to calculate greenhouse gas intensities. The CO2 emission pattern resembles closely the household expenditure pattern. Emission patterns of CH4 and N2O differ strongly from the expenditure pattern. Food products from cattle farming determine the CH4 emissions, while food products from agriculture determine the N2O emissions. The non-CO2 greenhouse gases contribute 25% to the total emissions of CO2 equivalents from Dutch household food consumption, significantly above their share in the total Dutch emission of greenhouse gases. For food product life cycles it is very important to include the non-CO2 greenhouse gases. The analyses show differences in greenhouse gas intensities within food product categories and between food product categories. These differences offer possibilities for reduction options. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.