Food carbon consumption in Beijing urban households

This paper explores the environmental implications of food consumption, from the viewpoint of carbon consumption in Beijing urban households, considering the effects of increasing carbon flux on the environment and alterations in food systems in terms of the carbon cycle. The average food carbon consumption was calculated and analysed in terms of household socioeconomic variables. Several patterns of food carbon consumption with definite socioeconomic characteristics were identified. An average of 279.3 kg food carbon was consumed by households per annum, and was dominated by grain carbon (34.3%). The number of household members, average household age, proportion of male members, education and occupation influence total food carbon consumption of a household. Income influenced consumption of certain foods, thus causing differences in the structure of food carbon consumption. High food carbon consumption patterns tend to emerge in large-size, medium-age, high-male, high-income, medium-education families. Among these, households with a higher age and higher education level have a higher vegetarian carbon dietary pattern, while other households have a higher meat carbon dietary pattern.

[1]  Jesper Munksgaard,et al.  Changing consumption patterns and CO2 reduction , 2001 .

[2]  M. Alberti,et al.  Integrating Humans into Ecology: Opportunities and Challenges for Studying Urban Ecosystems , 2003 .

[3]  J van der Wal.  Analysis of Household Metabolic Flows , 1998 .

[4]  C. Larson.  The United Nations’ Department of Public Information , 1950 .

[5]  Shui Bin,et al.  Consumer lifestyle approach to US energy use and the related CO2 emissions , 2005 .

[6]  Working Party on Economic and Environmental Policy Integration Working Group on Economic Aspects of Biodiversity INCENTIVES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE NESTING GROUNDS OF THE SEA TURTLE CARETTA CARETTA IN LAGANAS BAY, ZAKYNTHOS, GREECE , 1999 .

[7]  N. Grimm,et al.  Integrated Approaches to Long-TermStudies of Urban Ecological Systems , 2000 .

[8]  Household energy requirements , 1998 .

[9]  E. Boyle,et al.  The global carbon cycle: a test of our knowledge of earth as a system. , 2000, Science.

[10]  Jesper Munksgaard,et al.  Impact of household consumption on CO2 emissions , 2000 .

[11]  S. Pachauri,et al.  Direct and indirect energy requirements of households in India , 2002 .

[12]  W. Biesiot,et al.  Energy requirements of household consumption: a case study of The Netherlands , 1999 .

[13]  E. C. Alfredsson,et al.  “Green” consumption—no solution for climate change , 2004 .

[14]  Manfred Lenzen,et al.  Energy requirements of Sydney households , 2004 .

[15]  K. Newcombe,et al.  Nutrient flow in a major urban settlement: Hong Kong , 1977 .

[16]  P. Baccini,et al.  The impact of household food consumption on resource and energy management , 2001 .

[17]  K. Kratena,et al.  Modelling Sustainable Consumption. From Theoretical Concepts to Policy Guidelines , 2002 .

[18]  A. Carlsson-kanyama,et al.  Food and life cycle energy inputs: consequences of diet and ways to increase efficiency , 2003 .

[19]  Peter Crane,et al.  Nature in the Metropolis , 2005, Science.

[20]  A. Carlsson-kanyama,et al.  Household Metabolism in the five cities. , 2002 .

[21]  J van der Wal.  Green Households? Domestic Consumers, Environment and Sustainability , 1998 .

[22]  S. Tyler.  Household energy use in Asian cities : responding to development success , 1996 .

[23]  S. Wirsenius,et al.  The Biomass Metabolism of the Food System: A Model‐Based Survey of the Global and Regional Turnover of Food Biomass , 2003 .

[24]  G. Keoleian,et al.  Assessing the sustainability of the US food system: a life cycle perspective , 2003 .

[25]  Witold-Roger Poganietz,et al.  Carbon flows and carbon use in the German anthroposphere : An inventory , 2006 .

[26]  P. Gerbens-Leenes,et al.  Consumption patterns and their effects on land required for food , 2002 .