Research School SENSE > Sustainability in food production and consumption, design and evaluation of methodological frameworks

Sustainable development and social change - actors, institutions and governance + Center for Energy and Environmental Studies

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Title: Sustainability in food production and consumption, design and evaluation of methodological frameworks

Primary Researcher: Emiel Elferink
Email address: eelferink@clm.nl
Submitted on: November 18, 2002

Start date: 01 February 2002
End date: 31 January 2006

Introduction:

This PhD-research is part of the FIDES project (Food Information as a DEterminant for Sustainability) which again is part of the ZonMw program "Verantwoorde Voeding".
This research focuses on the impacts of the animal protein production and consumption. Animal proteins can be produced in quite different systems (intensive- extensive, meat – fish). The environmental impacts of these systems are not always known or the information is provided by an inner circle and is therefore often mistrusted. This research will provide knowledge on the environmental impacts of food consumption patterns. With this knowledge a method will be developed that can be used as a tool both for consumers, producers and government to decrease the environmental impact of food. Different production systems will be evaluated on risks and trade-offs and improvement options will be identified. The system optimisation will be carried out within the framework of the ecological, social and economic sustainability criteria of Brundtland.

Aim:

The first objective of this research is to contribute to a methodology development of the concept of sustainable meat and fish consumption and production.
The second objective is to design sustainable food strategy(s) and pathway(s) for animal protein provision. By way of dynamic modelling and assessing the system different scenarios shall be investigated. With regard to the actors involved (consumers, producers, environmentalists, scientists, NGO’s and politicians) a sustainable strategy can be developed and incorporated.