Driving forces of changing environmental pressures from consumption in the European food system

The paper provides an integrated assessment of environmental and socio-economic effects arising from final consumption of food products by European households. Direct and indirect effects accumulated along the global supply chain are assessed by applying environmentally extended input-output analysis (EE-IOA). EXIOBASE 3.4 database is used as a source of detailed information on environmental pressures and world input-output transactions of intermediate and final goods and services. An original methodology to produce detailed allocation matrices to link IO data with household expenditure data is presented and applied. The results show a relative decoupling between environmental pressures and consumption over time and shows that European food consumption generates relatively less environmental pressures outside Europe (due to imports) than average European consumption. A methodological framework is defined to analyze the main driving forces by means of a structural decomposition analysis (SDA). The results of the SDA highlight that while technological developments and changes in the mix of consumed food products result in reductions in environmental pressures, this is offset by growth in consumption. The results highlight the importance of directing specific research and policy efforts towards food consumption to support the transition to a more sustainable food system in line with the objectives of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy

Which additional impact categories are ready for uptake in the CEN standards EN 15804 and EN 15978? Evaluation framework and intermediate results

The European standards developed by CEN TC350 for assessing the sustainability of construction works, i.e. EN15804 (construction products) and EN15978 (buildings), consider seven impact categories within the life cycle assessment approach. When looking at commonly used Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods (e.g. IMPACT 2002+ and ReCiPe) and the recently developed Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) of the European Commission, more impact categories are included. Scientific studies indicate the necessity to consider these additional impact categories. The question arises if declaring solely the seven CEN TC350 impact categories is sufficient or if additional impact categories should be taken up. In the context of this potential need for a broader environmental perspective, a new work item proposal within CEN TC350 has been approved for drafting a CEN Technical Report (TR) containing an overview and evaluation of additional impact categories. The goal of the TR is to collect information on six impact categories: human toxicity, ecotoxicity, particulate matter, ionising radiation, land use/biodiversity and water scarcity. The TR can be used as input for further discussions on the need for updating the standards. The draft TR was finalised in January 2016 on the basis of literature study and feedback from experts, amongst others the EC-Joint Research Centre. The process of the development of the TR and the framework for the evaluation of the seven additional impact categories (and potentially others in future) are described. Finally, the main draft conclusions on the impact categories are summarised.We thank the members of the CEN TC WG1 and WG3, the EC-JRC and all experts involved for their valuable inputsstatus: publishe

Bone and muscle protective potential of the prostate-sparing synthetic androgen 7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone: Evidence from the aged orchidectomized male rat model

This study reports the preclinical evaluation of the bone and muscle protective potential of the synthetic androgen 7α-methyl-19- nortestosterone (MENT™), as assessed in the aged orchidectomized rat model. Aged (13-month-old) orchidectomized Wistar rats were treated with different doses of MENT (4, 12 or 36 μg/day) subcutaneously for 16 weeks via mini-osmotic pumps. Analysis of the effects of androgen deficiency versus MENT replacement was performed using quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and biochemical markers of bone turnover. At the end of the study period, prostate weight in orchidectomized rats treated with low- (4 μg/day) or mid-dose (12 μg/day) MENT remained significantly lower compared to the sham-operated animals (-47% and -25%, respectively). High-dose MENT (36 μg/day), on the other hand, induced prostate hypertrophy (+21% versus sham). Low-, mid- and high-dose MENT were found to be effective in suppressing the acceleration of bone remodeling following orchidectomy, as assessed by osteocalcin and deoxypyridinoline. In addition, low-, mid- and high-dose were able to prevent the orchidectomy-induced bone loss, as evaluated by DEXA at the femur and total-body and by pQCT at the femur. Compared to sham-operated animals, the low- and mid-dose MENT groups showed no decline in lean body mass and no muscle atrophy (as measured by m. quadriceps weight) at 16 weeks, whereas high-dose MENT was associated with a significant decline in lean body mass (-8.5% versus sham) and quadriceps weight (-10.6%). We conclude that, in the aged orchidectomized rat model, low- and mid-doses of the synthetic androgen MENT have bone and muscle protective effects and do not induce prostate hypertrophy. The bone protective action of high-dose MENT, however, occurs at the expense of muscle wasting and prostate hypertrophy. Our findings support the need for human studies to explore the potential of MENT as an option for androgen replacement in aging men

Physical activity in the androgen receptor knockout mouse: Evidence for reversal of androgen deficiency on cancellous bone

Disruption of the androgen receptor (AR) in male mice reduces cortical bone expansion and muscle mass during puberty and results in high bone turnover-related cancellous osteopenia. We hypothesized that voluntary wheel running during growth is able to rescue the effects of AR disruption on bone. To this end, 5-week-old AR knockout (ARKO) mice were randomized to a running group (cage with running wheel) and a sedentary group (cage without wheel) and followed-up until 16 weeks of age. Voluntary wheel running in ARKO mice did not influence body weight, muscle mass or periosteal bone expansion. Interestingly, Voluntary running significantly reduced bone turnover in ARKO mice and prevented cancellous bone loss due to a preservation of trabecular number. Thus, voluntary running in ARKO mice was able to reduce cancellous bone resorption, suggesting that sustained exercise may potentially compensate the effects of androgen disruption on cancellous bone. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reservedstatus: publishe

Driving Forces of Changing Environmental Pressures from Consumption in the European Food System

The paper provides an integrated assessment of environmental and socio-economic effects arising from final consumption of food products by European households. Direct and indirect effects accumulated along the global supply chain are assessed by applying environmentally extended input\u2013output analysis (EE-IOA). EXIOBASE 3.4 database is used as a source of detailed information on environmental pressures and world input\u2013output transactions of intermediate and final goods and services. An original methodology to produce detailed allocation matrices to link IO data with household expenditure data is presented and applied. The results show a relative decoupling between environmental pressures and consumption over time and shows that European food consumption generates relatively less environmental pressures outside Europe (due to imports) than average European consumption. A methodological framework is defined to analyze the main driving forces by means of a structural decomposition analysis (SDA). The results of the SDA highlight that while technological developments and changes in the mix of consumed food products result in reductions in environmental pressures, this is offset by growth in consumption. The results highlight the importance of directing specific research and policy efforts towards food consumption to support the transition to a more sustainable food system in line with the objectives of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy