EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF FOOD AND FEED AND HUMAN DIET SHIFTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY: INTEGRATING SCALES

The document argues that the global agro-food system is increasingly inefficient due to a disconnection between crop production and livestock, driven by rising demands for animal protein and high rates of food waste. It highlights that international trade of food and feed has increased eightfold over the last 50 years, leading to significant nitrogen pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Using Spain as a primary example, the authors demonstrate how a shift from a Mediterranean diet to one rich in animal proteins has increased nitrogen pollution and created 'emission leakage,' where emissions associated with imported feed in non-Annex B countries exceed those from domestic production. The briefing suggests that reducing animal protein intake, decreasing food waste, and reconnecting crops with livestock are essential for global food security and environmental safety.

• The volume of internationally traded food and feed, measured by protein or nitrogen content, has grown eightfold over the past 50 years, resulting in a system where a small number of 'net exporters' feed the rest of the world.
• Global food system inefficiencies are severe: while 870 million people suffer from hunger, two-thirds of food calories are either used to feed animals (one-third) or are lost (one-third).
• In Spain, a dietary shift from the Mediterranean diet (30-35% animal protein) to a diet similar to North American and North European patterns (64% animal protein) is the primary driver of increased nitrogen pollution.
• Spain experiences 'emission leakage' because the N2O emissions linked to the production of imported food and feed—largely from non-Annex B countries—are higher than the emissions from its own agricultural exports.
• The disconnection between livestock and the land they occupy reduces nutrient use efficiency; for example, Basque dairy farms import an average of 73% of their total feed.
• Certain environmental mitigation measures can create trade-offs; shifting livestock diets from grass to cereals may reduce methane and nitrogen emissions at the animal level but can increase soil carbon and nitrogen losses due to land-use changes from pastures to arable land.

APA

Lassaletta, L., & del Prado, A. (2013). EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF FOOD AND FEED AND HUMAN DIET SHIFTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY: INTEGRATING SCALES. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20131230012826551307457.pdf

Chicago

Lassaletta, Luis, and Agustín del Prado. EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF FOOD AND FEED AND HUMAN DIET SHIFTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY: INTEGRATING SCALES. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2013. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20131230012826551307457.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lassaletta |first1=Luis |last2=del Prado |first2=Agustín |title=EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF FOOD AND FEED AND HUMAN DIET SHIFTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY: INTEGRATING SCALES |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=November 2013 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20131230012826551307457.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lassaletta2013effects, author = {Lassaletta, Luis and del Prado, Agustín}, title = {{EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF FOOD AND FEED AND HUMAN DIET SHIFTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY: INTEGRATING SCALES}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20131230012826551307457.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }