Influencing factors for sustainable dietary transformation — a case study of German food consumption

In a case study of Germany, we examine current food consumption along the three pillars of sustainability to evaluate external factors that influence consumers’ dietary decisions. We investigate to what extent diets meet nutritional requirements (social factor), the diets’ environmental impact (ecological factor), and the food prices’ influence on purchasing behavior (economic factor). For this, we compare two dietary recommendations (plant-based, omnivorous) with the status quo, and we examine different consumption styles (conventional, organic produce). Additionally, we evaluate 1446 prices of food items from three store types (organic store, supermarket, and discounter). With this, we are able to evaluate and compare 30 different food baskets along their health, environmental, and economic impact. Results show that purchasing decisions are only slightly influenced by health-related factors. Furthermore, few consumers align their diet with low environmental impact. In contrast, a large share of consumers opt for cheap foods, regardless of health and environmental consequences. We find that price is, arguably, the main factor in food choices from a sustainability standpoint. Action should be taken by policy makers to financially incentivize consumers in favor of healthy and environmentally friendly diets. Otherwise, the status quo further drives especially underprivileged consumers towards unhealthy and environmentally damaging consumption

DETERMINING THE OPTIMAL INVESTMENT AMOUNT OF AN INTELLIGENT HOUSE - POTENTIALS OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY TO COMBINE ECOLOGY AND ECONOMY

Innovations in the field of information systems (IS) open up new possibilities to increase energy efficiency and carbon reduction. For this, real estate is an industry sector with remarkably high potential. Here IS are integrated into \u27Intelligent Houses\u27. But many of these ecologically advantageous investments are not made yet, because they do not seem to be economically profitable. We therefore develop an IS-specific model to identify investment alternatives out of all ecologically advantageous investment alternatives which are also economically profitable. For this, we compare the investment amount with the achievable energy cost reduction and the raise of the buildings\u27 resale returns. Out of all identified investments we determine the economically optimal investment amount. In this connection we put special emphasis on the valuation of risk and for the first time point out the applicability of Intelligent Houses as insurance against energy price volatility. Thus the quantity of all ecologically advantageous and economically profitable investments is enhanced as well as the economically optimal investment amount. IS\u27 potentials to combine economy and ecology can thus be detected and made useable. An example illustrates how the model can be applie

How much is the dish? – Was kosten uns Lebensmittel wirklich?

Die Landwirtschaft, die in Deutschland den bei weitem höchsten Flächenbedarf aufweist, ist für eine Vielzahl von Umweltbelastungen verantwortlich, die sich auf alle drei Säulen der Nachhaltigkeit beziehen (Ökonomie, Gesellschaft, Umwelt). Die resultierenden, versteckten Kosten dieser zumeist unzureichend quantifizierten Folgen sind aktuell nicht in die Marktpreise für Lebensmittel einbezogen. Vor diesem Hintergrund identifiziert die Studie drei dieser Umweltfolgen (Stickstoff, Klimagase, Energieerzeugung) quantitativ und aggregiert sie bezogen auf unterschiedliche Kategorien von Nahrungsmitteln. Hierauf aufbauend werden kategoriespezifische externe Effekte berechnet. Eine Internalisierung von kategoriespezifischen Folgekosten, die dem Verursacherprinzip (polluter-pays principle, UN 1992) entspricht, ebnet den Weg in Richtung einer nachhaltigeren Preissetzung für landwirtschaftliche Produkte. Unter Verwendung von Lebenszyklus-Analysen (life cycle analysis) und Metaanalysen zeigen wir, dass die höchsten externen Effekte bzw. Folgekosten mit der Produktion konventionell hergestellter Produkte tierischen Ursprungs einhergehen (192% Aufschlag auf die Erzeugerpreise), die zweithöchsten Aufschläge sich für konventionell hergestellte Milchprodukte (94%) und die niedrigsten für Bio-Lebensmittel pflanzlichen Ursprungs (6%) ergeben. In allen untersuchten Kategorien verursachen biologisch hergestellte Lebensmittel geringere Folgekosten als ihre konventionellen Counterparts. Unser Ansatz leistet einen Beitrag, das Delta zwischen aktuellen Marktpreisen und den tatsächlichen Preisen aufzuzeigen. Hierbei zeigt sich, dass der wahre Wert auszudifferenzieren ist für unterschiedliche Lebensmittelgruppen und Produktionssysteme

Dietary change and land use change: assessing preventable climate and biodiversity damage due to meat consumption in Germany

Land use change (LUC) is responsible for a large share of the emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) and is a major driver of global biodiversity loss. Although much of the global LUC-related CO2 emissions and biodiversity loss occur in tropical countries, the actual drivers of this LUC can be located in the global North, particularly through the import of large quantities of agricultural commodities. The aim of this study is to quantify and monetize the LUC-related impacts of the consumption of animal-based food products in Germany and subsequently explore the potential benefits of transitioning to diets with lower dependence on animal-based products. We calculate the LUC-related impacts of consumption of animal-based products in Germany through a modeling approach that combines models for land balance, emissions, and physical trade. We determine the LUC-related CO2 emissions of this consumption, as well as the deforested area and associated impacts on biodiversity loss. Following the true cost accounting approach (TCA), the LUC-related impacts are monetized to estimate the external costs of the German consumption of animal-based products. Our results show that the consumption of these products is responsible for the deforestation of 16.4 kha annually in the period between 2013 and 2016. Out of the six analyzed animal-based product groups, the largest shares of deforestation are associated with milk (35%) and pork (33%) consumption. However, beef meat consumption has the highest relative LUC-related CO2 emissions at 0.75 tCO2 per ton. The LUC-related externalities of the German meat-based product consumption incur annually societal costs of EUR 1.1 billion (plus EUR 0.5 billion for biodiversity loss). The results also show that the animal-based products imported in Germany have only slightly higher LUC-related CO2 emissions than those produced within Germany. Overall, there is a great urgency for policy measures and shifts in consumer behavior to ensure that the consumption of animal-based products in Germany does not have unacceptably high negative sustainability impacts

Auf dem Weg zu wahren Preisen im Lebensmitteleinzelhandel: Die Mehrwertsteuer als Instrument zur Agrar-Transformation

Eine Reform des Mehrwertsteuersystems ist ein möglicher Weg für die Transformation der Agrarwirtschaft. Positive monetäre Anreize für nachhaltige Lebensmittel und negative Anreize für Produkte mit hohen Externalitäten können sowohl auf Verbraucher- als auch auf Erzeugerseite Impulse setzen

Predictors of nursing home admission of individuals without a dementia diagnosis before admission - results from the Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged (LEILA 75+)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In previous decades a substantial number of community-based studies mostly including dementia cases examined predictors of nursing home admission (NHA) among elderly people. However, no one study has analysed predictors of NHA for individuals without developing dementia before NHA.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were derived from the Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged, a population-based study of individuals aged 75 years and older. 1,024 dementia-free older adults were interviewed six times on average every 1.4 years. Socio-demographic, clinical, and psychometric variables were obtained. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to determine mean time to NHA. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine predictors of long-term NHA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the overall sample, 7.8 percent of the non-demented elderly (n = 59) were admitted to nursing home (NH) during the study period. The mean time to NHA in the dementia-free sample was 7.6 years. Characteristics associated with a shorter time to NHA were increased age, living alone, functional and cognitive impairment, major depression, stroke, myocardial infarction, a low number of specialist visits and paid home helper use.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Severe physical or psychiatric diseases and living alone have a significant effect on NHA for dementia-free individuals. The findings offer potentialities of secondary prevention to avoid or delay NHA for these elderly individuals. Further investigation of predictors of institutionalization is warranted to advance understanding of the process leading to NHA for this important group.</p