Top Environmental Impact of Food Production and Agriculture
Summary:
The current food system imposes a significant burden on the environment, and this burden is expected to increase with population growth. While existing studies have mainly focused on the environmental impacts of agricultural commodities, it is crucial to understand the environmental impacts of packaged food products, which are increasingly being purchased by consumers. To facilitate better decision-making by consumers, policymakers, and government officials, it is necessary to estimate the environmental footprints of packaged food products in Australia, including their greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use. Our project will employ both top-down and bottom-up approaches to estimate these impacts and will also develop a hybrid approach that integrates both methods. In addition, we will produce optimized food baskets that promote good nutrition with low environmental impacts and are affordable for different Australian households.