BC3. Basque centre for climate change – Klima aldaketa ikergai

Seminar / Mintegia / Seminario
Effects of international trade of food and feed and human diet shifts on food security and environmental safety: global and regional perspectives

Lecturer:
Dr. Luis Lassaletta. UMR Sisyphe, CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie.Paris (France)

Abstract

International trade of food and feed (expressed as protein content) has increased eightfold during the last 50 years. Nowadays a small number of countries are feeding the rest of the world. The population growth but also a change toward higher animal-protein diets are key drivers of the observed changes. The increasing dissociation between crops and livestock is producing a drop in the nutrient use efficiency at the global scale, and a rise in pollution problems. In Spain, a transition from the so-called Mediterranean diet to a diet with a very high share of animal protein, similar to North American and North European diets, is the main driver of a dramatic increase in nitrogen pollution. The huge production of animal products is fuelled by feed imports that today equal national crop production. Despite Spain also produces commodities for exportation, the net balance of N2O emissions of the agricultural system in 2009 indicated that the country is net-emitting abroad. A large part of the net N2O emissions is associated to imported agricultural goods coming from countries which are not committers for the Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol, and therefore emission leakage is occurring. Localization of vegetal and animal production, as well as control of the diet are key factors for world food security and environmental safety.

Referenced papers
Lassaletta, L., Billen, L., Grizzetti, B., Garnier J., Leach, A.M. & Galloway J.N. Food and feed trade as a driver in the global nitrogen cycle: 50-year trends. Biogechemistry.
Lassaletta, L., Billen, G., Romero, E., Garnier, J. & Aguilera, E. 2013. How changes in diet and trade patterns have shaped the N cycle at the national scale: Spain (1961–2009). Regional Environmental Change.) DOI 10.1007/s10113-013-0536-1
Billen, G., Garnier, L. & Lassaletta, L. 2013. The nitrogen cascade from agricultural soils to the sea: Modelling N transfers at regional watershed and global scales. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 268, 20130123

If you are interested in attending the Seminar, please register yourself clicking here

5th December, 13:00, BC3 offices (Alameda Urquijo 4,4º) 

* The Seminar will be in English. / Mintegia ingelesez burutuko da. / El seminario se realizará en inglés.