Our planet on the plate Markus Wolter, WWF Deutschland
Key Topics Why does WWF work in the area of meat and food waste? Virtual land trade of the EU and Germany Nutrition habits on trial Meat consumption Food waste Conclusion
WWF and the issue of meat and food waste
Crucial Questions for WWF Which connection exists between our daily diet and land use changes here and elsewhere in the world? To what extent do we contribute with our nutrition habits to worldwide land conversion? Is the decision of what we eat important for the climate? Is healthy nutrition really good for the environment and climate?
Object of Investigation Nutrition habits and food waste in Germany Determining the land and climate footprint of Germany per person Scenarios of changed nutrition habits and their effects on land consumption and emission of GHG
Studies
Germans desire for meat
Germans desire for meat Currently, every German consumes 87 kg of meat (products) per year That is double the amount from 100 years ago And this is double the recommended amount by nutritional experts
Land footprint of the EU and Germany
Land Footprint of Germany Germany has approx. 17 mil. hectares Virtual land import = nearly 5,5 mil. hectare Germany occupies more than 1/3 of its own agricultural ressources additionally outside the EU 1/3 of Germany s virtual land use is due to soy (EU 50%)
EU s Land Footprint for Soy Soy land footprint of the EU: 15 mil. hectares 88% of the net import volume of soy products comes from South America; mainly Brazil and Argentina In these countries, the EU occupies approx. 30% of the soy hectarage Soy land footprint of Germany: 2 mil. hectares 79% of soy is used as feed
Oilseeds (mainly used as feed) Dominate the virtual hectarage import. 2 mio. ha account for soya
Land use changes overseas
Land consumption due to meat consumption
Land Footprint of our Meat Consumption Meat consumption Approx. 87 kg per person per year: Land footprint of 1019 m² Compared to: Potato consumption Approx. 61kg per person per year: Land footprint of 15m²
Land Footprint 2010 Other animal products 250 m² Cereals 212 m² Oil seeds 86 m² Coffee, Cocoa, Tea 208 m² Fruits and Vegetables 62 m² Land footprint of nutrition in Germany 2008 2010 (in m 2 /person) Total: 2300 m² Other vegetable products 66 m² Beef 351m² Dairy 579 Pork 498
Small changes in our nutritional habits can have a huge impact, both positive and negative
Scenarios for healthy nutrition
Scenarios Question and Background In the event that every german consumer, including infants and senior citizens, would eat according to the recommended guidelines (DGE), how would food consumption in our country change and how would that affect the indicated food sectors?
Healthy Nutrition Scenario I: Nutrition according to scientific recommendations That means : 75% more Vegetables 44% less meat
Healthy nutrition means the reduction of the land footprint by: 1,8 mil. ha (Saxony) Eating meat only once a week means reducing the land footprint by: 600.000 ha
Scenarios for Foodwaste
The Great Waste 2015 24
The contribution of avoided food waste to resource and climate protection Mio. t Mio. ha Mio. t CO 2 -equivalents Mio. t CO 2 Avoidable food waste Reduction in land footprint saved greenhouse gas emissions along the value chain Reduction in carbon footprint as a result of avoided land use change
Global Issues Agricultural Area Virtual Land Trade Avoidable Food Waste Reduction in land footprint 2,6 Mio. ha Example:. 390.000 ha in South America 360.000 ha in Asia 16,8 Mio. ha
Food losses along the value chain Tons Harvest Losses Post- Harvest losses Processing losses Distribution Bulk losses consumers wholesale/retail End consumer Total 61% 39%
Foodwaste Scenario Complete reduction of avoidable food losses That means an avoidance of approx. 50 kg waste per person per year That would lead to land savings of 2,6 mil. hectares
Conclusions Avoidance of food waste is a significant contribution to resource and climate protection and global food security At international, European and national level ambitious targets have been set to reduce food losses. Considering the value chain: the closer it gets to the consumer level, the higher the losses at the level considered, and the greater the potential for avoidance. SDG 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
Conclusions and Recommendations Conservation of valuable habitats and saving the climate is possible in various ways The most simple and efficient ways are through: 1. Healthy nutrition 2. More careful handling of our food
Agriculture for Biodiversity The conservation standard is an additional qualification for special achievements in the promotion of biodiversity. comprehensive service catalogue with over than 70 options for arable land, grassland (meadows, pastures) as well as for landscape elements(including hedges, ponds). It is based on a points system, which indicates how effectively the respective measure provides protection 16. Dezember 2015 31
Thank you very much!