Assessment of the diet-environment-health-cost quadrilemma in public school canteens. an LCA case study in Galicia (Spain)

[EN] The role of policies and public school canteens as drivers of sustainable and healthy diets is increasingly becoming the center of attention of academics and policy-makers alike. This work therefore aims to assess the environmental, economic and nutritional quality dimensions of the menus consumed across the Local Network of School Canteens in the municipality of Ames (Galicia, Spain). It additionally performs different scenarios to evaluate the effects on the environment-cost-nutritional quality trilemma of implementing two major dietary changes in these menus: introducing more organic products, and shifting toward a more plant-based consumption pattern. To this end, this study considers the following indicators: a) those obtained from an energy and carbon life cycle assessment of the school menus (cradle-to-grave approach), mainly the cumulative energy demand (CED) and the carbon footprint (CF), complemented by some energy efficiency indicators; b) the total cost (TC) of the menus, obtained from their life cycle cost assessment (cradle-to-fork approach); and c) the nutritional quality of the menus, calculated and assessed based on the nutrient rich diet index (NRD 9.3). The CED, CF, TC, and NRD 9.3 index of a daily meal at school canteens are, respectively, estimated at 18.87 MJ, 1.30 kg CO2-eq, EUR 4.65, and 278 per meal. The consumption of animal products and labor (for food preparation) are identified, respectively, as the main environmental impact and economic cost of the menus. The results of our research show how implementing changes in consumption habits toward a more vegetarian diet in school menus makes it possible to include organic products to generate the most positive effects in terms of the environment and nutrition without incurring in cost overruns. Our work discusses the main barriers to be overcome and the political actions that must be enforced to advance the procurement of more sustainable and healthy public food.SIPublicación en abierto financiada por el Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Castilla y León (BUCLE), con cargo al Programa Operativo 2014ES16RFOP009 FEDER 2014-2020 DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN, Actuación:20007-CL - Apoyo Consorcio BUCL

Energy Assessment of Pastoral Dairy Goat Husbandry from an Agroecological Economics Perspective. A Case Study in Andalusia (Spain)

This paper presents a methodological proposal of new energy sustainability indicators according to a novel accounting that follows agroecological and ecological economics criteria. Energy output is reformulated to include manure and thus consider the contribution to fertilization made by pastoral livestock farming to agroecosystems. Energy inputs calculations include the grazing resources. These new definitions and calculations allow for new formulations of the energy return on investment (EROI) as measures of the energy efficiency of livestock farming systems (final EROI and food/feed EROI). The environmental benefit of manure is estimated from the avoided energy cost of using this alternative to inorganic fertilizers (AECM). The environmental benefit of grazing is measured through the energy cost of avoiding cultivated animal feed (AECP) and its impact in terms of non-utilized agricultural area (ALCP). The comparative analysis of different livestock breeding systems in three pastoral dairy goat farms in the Sierra de Cádiz in Andalusia, southern Spain, reveals the analytical potential of the new energy sustainability indicators proposed, as well as the potential environmental benefits derived from territorial-based stockbreeding and, more specifically, grazing activities. Those benefits include gains in energy efficiency, a reduction of the dependence on non-renewable energy, and environmental costs avoided in terms of energy in extensive pastoral systems

Sostenibilidad energética y viabilidad monetaria de los cultivos herbáceos extensivos ecológico en Andalucía

Una de las características más importantes de la agricultura es su capacidad para transformar la energía y generar “excedentes” energéticos con diversos usos (alimentación humana, animal, fertilización, etc.). Estos excedentes energéticos son potencialmente mayores en la agricultura ecológica como resultado del menor uso de insumos vinculados a la energía fósil. Los cereales y las leguminosas son cultivos que se caracterizan por altos outputs y balances de energía, ambos indicadores fundamentales de la sostenibilidad agraria. En este trabajo se analiza, tanto en términos monetarios como energéticos, el comportamiento de los cultivos extensivos ecológicos en Andalucía para el año 2005. Así mismo, se realiza un análisis comparativo entre los resultados energéticos obtenidos en el presente estudio y los aportados en otros estudios nacionales e internacionales. El balance monetario y energético de los cultivos extensivos se estimó en 2,47 y 3,65 respectivamente. Este último se incrementa hasta 6,49 si solamente se tiene en cuenta el uso de energía no renovable. En términos comparativos con cultivos convencionales, los resultados muestran un elevado grado de eficiencia energética

Energy-water-food security nexus in mung bean production in Iran: an LCA approach

[EN] Mung bean is a very important crop in Iran in both socio-economic and nutritional terms. However, although discussions on food and food security increasingly include sustainability issues, there are no precedents in ac- ademic literature that analyze in depth the nexus between energy, water use and food security in relation to this crop in Iran from an agri-food system approach. Therefore, our main objective is to assess the energy-water-food security (EWFs) nexus and the environmental impact of mung bean production in Iran from a “cradle to fork” approach using different nutritional units (1 kg of beans, 1 kg of proteins, and 1000 kcal) and load allocation criteria. In addition, an economic analysis of the farms is carried out. The results show that the on-farm pro- duction of mung beans is the phase where the largest environmental impacts are concentrated (between 40 % and 96 % of them, including those related to water and energy use), while cooking accounts for more than 50 % of the carbon footprint. The non-renewable cumulative energy demand (NR CED) and total water footprint (TWF) per kilogram of beans (“cradle to fork”) is estimated at 27.4 MJ and 1.55 m3 and the farm Net Margin (NM) is estimated at 3,677 USD per ha. The paper discusses whether mung bean is a low-impact option for protein production, especially when compared to animal products and the importance of using different func- tional units and load allocation criteria to address the issue of EWFs and sustainability. In this regard, further research is needed to improve the environmental efficiency of bean production, which is critical for promoting sustainable diets in line with food security goals.S

Energy sustainability and economic viability of organic extensive herbaceous crops in Andalusia

Una de las características más importantes de la agricultura es su capacidad para transformar la energía y generar “excedentes” energéticos con diversos usos (alimentación humana, animal, fertilización, etc.). Estos excedentes energéticos son potencialmente mayores en la agricultura ecológica como resultado del menor uso de insumos vinculados a la energía fósil. Los cereales y las leguminosas son cultivos que se caracterizan por altos outputs y balances de energía, ambos indicadores fundamentales de la sostenibilidad agraria. En este trabajo se analiza, tanto en términos monetarios como energéticos, el comportamiento de los cultivos extensivos ecológicos en Andalucía para el año 2005. Así mismo, se realiza un análisis comparativo entre los resultados energéticos obtenidos en el presente estudio y los aportados en otros estudios nacionales e internacionales. El balance monetario y energético de los cultivos extensivos se estimó en 2,47 y 3,65 respectivamente. Este último se incrementa hasta 6,49 si solamente se tiene en cuenta el uso de energía no renovable. En términos comparativos con cultivos convencionales, los resultados muestran un elevado grado de eficiencia energética.One of the most important characteristics of agriculture is its capacity to transform energy and generate energy “surpluses” with various uses (human food, animal feed, fertilization, etc.). These energy surpluses are potentially larger in ecological agriculture as result of low fossil fuel inputs related. Cereals and legumes are crops with high energy balance and output, both key agrarian sustainability indicators. This work analyses the behaviour of ecological extensive crops in Andalusia (2005), in both monetary and energy terms. In addition, a comparative analysis is made of the energy results obtained in the present study and those contributed by other national and international studies. The monetary and energy balance of extensive crops is estimated at 2.47 and 3.65, respectively. When only the use of non-renewable energy is taken into consideration, the energy balance increases and reaches 6.49. In comparative terms, the results show a high degree of energy efficiency

Assessment of the environmental impact and economic performance of cacao agroforestry systems in the Ecuadorian Amazon region: An LCA approach

[EN] Ecuador is the third largest cacao exporter in the world. Up to 10 % of Ecuador's cacao production is grown in the Amazon region, mostly under conventional (CA) and organic (OA) agroforestry systems. Despite the importance of cacao in this area, no previous studies on its environmental impact and economic viability have yet been carried out. The main objective of this research is to fill this gap and, more specifically, perform a comparative analysis between CA and OA systems. For this purpose, primary information was gathered from 90 farms (44 conventional and 46 organic ones) that implement land management practices. The environmental performance of cacao production was assessed using a life cycle analysis methodology, with a cradle-to-farm gate approach. Up to twelve impact categories and five environmental and monetary efficiency indicators were estimated based on three functional units (1 kg of cacao, 1 kg of output sold, and 1 ha). Additionally, an economic viability analysis was performed, focused on profitability. The results show that organic management allows to reduce the environmental impact in all the analyzed categories, except for the land footprint, and improved the environmental and economic efficiency of agroforestry systems. The economic analysis shows no statistically significant differences between CA and OA profitability (net margin), which can be improved by selling co-products. Despite the low environmental impact of both types of system, economic profitability is certainly one of the weaknesses of cacao production in the Ecuadorian Amazon region. This study contributes to develop technical, production-related and political actions that could improve the economic cacao production situation without jeopardizing the environmental benefit obtained by these systems.SIWe would like to thank the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIAP, National Agricultural and Livestock Farming Research Institute) and the Estación Experimental Central de la Amazonía (Central Experimental Station of the Amazon region), in particular their technical, administrative and on-site staff. Our gratitude goes as well to the University of Cordoba, the Instituto de Sociología y Estudios Campesinos (ISEC, Institute of Sociology and Peasant Studies), and the Department of Economics and Statistics of the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences at the Universidad de León (Spain)

Agroecology as a means to improve energy metabolism and economic management in smallholder cocoa farmers in the Ecuadorian Amazon

[EN] Cocoa is one of the most important crops in Ecuador, especially in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where >60,000 ha are dedicated to cocoa; 48,600 ha in production in 2021. Most of the cocoa area (82 %) is managed by smallholders with <10 ha under cultivation. Despite the socioeconomic and environmental importance of these systems, there are no previous studies that provide an integrated view of the energy metabolism and economic viability of different smallholder management styles. Consequently, the objective of this work is twofold: a) to estimate the aggregate energy and economic metabolism of small cocoa producers (< 10 ha) in the Ecuadorian Amazon and b) to investigate the existing differences in the technical-economic management styles of the crop. To this end, primary data were collected from a statistically representative sample of cocoa-growing areas distributed among 279 producers in 86 communities in the region, using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and a cost-benefit analysis associated with management. Our data show that most smallholder farmers produce cocoa in low-input diversified agroforest system with a high share of unpaid family labor. At the Amazon level, smallholder farmers (< 10 ha) produced 16.9 million tons of food for the market with a nonrenewable cumulative energy demand (NR CED) of 53.8 TJ (1343 MJ/ha), a carbon footprint (CF) of 8.16 Mt. CO2-eq. (203.9 kg CO2-eq/ha), and a net margin of 19.07 million $(476.8$/ha). On average, cocoa yields were estimated at 288 kg/ha, resulting in a NR CED and carbon footprint (CF) per kg of cocoa of 4.18 MJ and 0.98 kg CO2-eq. Despite its apparent homogeneity, three distinct styles of crop management were identified by a cluster analysis. The results suggest that farms with good organic/agroecological management can have a similar income generating capacity to the more intensive conventional farms evaluated, but with better environmental outcomes. Consequently, the paper finally discusses the need to promote public actions and policies that allow for the scaling up and improvement of successful agroecological management in the Ecuadorian Amazon.SIThis study was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 MSCARISE 2019 Programme under grant agreement 872384 - UNDERTREES project. Our thanks to: Institute of Sociology and Peasant Studies (ISEC), University of Córdoba (UCO) and University of León, Spain. To the National Institute of Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIAP), Central Experimental Station of the Amazon (EECA), to its technical, administrative and field staff, to the Research Fund for Agrobiodiversity, Seeds and Sustainable Agriculture (FIASA), to César García of the Transfer Directorate of the INIAP, Ecuador

Energy consumption in university commuting: Barriers, policies and reduction scenarios in León (Spain)

.There is a growing interest in university commuting that aims at identifying patterns of behavior, as well as the main barriers limiting the advances in sustainable mobility on campus. This work analyzes, on the basis of an online survey conducted at the University of Leon (ULE), the following issues: a) the behavior of ULE users in their weekly commuting; b) the environmental implications of such behavior in terms of non-renewable cumulative energy demand (NR CED), and c) the main barriers/disincentives to implementing a modal shift as declared by the respondents, according to their work status (students or workers) and gender. The data reveal differences in habits, especially in relation to the users’ work status, while differences by gender are not so significant. Still, this case study shows how men students use bicycles and motorcycles slightly more often than women, while the car is the main transportation mode for women workers. Car use is in fact the main hotspot of university commuting to the ULE (approximately 95% of the NR CED). Unsafe cycle paths, thefts at university, bus fares and frequency of service were the main barriers to a greater use of bicycle and bus identified by the survey respondents, with some differences by gender and work status. Measures aimed at minimizing these barriers could achieve maximum reductions of the NR CED ranging between 18.1% and 35.0%. This article discusses measures and policies that could be implemented to improve sustainable mobility at university.S

AGROECOLOGÍA Y ECOFEMINISMO PARA DESCOLONIZAR Y DESPATRIARCALIZAR LA ALIMENTACIÓN GLOBALIZADA

La alimentación es una actividad cotidiana imprescindible para la vida y cargada de significados que refleja y reproduce las relaciones socioeconómicas y políticas de una sociedad. La materialidad de la alimentación actual en la globalización se construye en el imaginario colectivo dominante a partir de tres sesgos fundamentales de la mirada occidental: el antropocentrismo, el etnocentrismo y androcentrismo propios de la patriarcalidad/colonialidad del poder/saber/ser. Este trabajo pretende establecer un diálogo crítico entre la agroecología, los feminismos y la teoría decolonial aplicado al análisis del imaginario alimentario hegemónico con el objetivo de pensar, desde una perspectiva crítica-fronteriza, premisas culturales alternativas que contribuyan a la construcción de propuestas alimentarias sostenibles y justas que superen los tres sesgos fundamentales de la mirada occidental (pre)dominante