Estimation of Carbon Dioxide Emissions from a Traditional Nutrient-Rich Cambodian Diet Food Production System Using Life Cycle Assessment

Rathna Hor, Phanna Ly, Agusta Samodra Putra, Riaru Ishizaki, Tofael Ahamed and Ryozo Noguchi
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Rathna Hor: Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
Phanna Ly: Faculty of Agro-Industry, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh 2695, Cambodia
Agusta Samodra Putra: Research Center for Chemistry, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Serpong 15314, Indonesia
Riaru Ishizaki: Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
Tofael Ahamed: Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
Ryozo Noguchi: Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: Traditional Cambodian food has higher nutrient balances and is environmentally sustainable compared to conventional diets. However, there is a lack of knowledge and evidence on nutrient intake and the environmental greenness of traditional food at different age distributions. The relationship between nutritional intake and environmental impact can be evaluated using carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from agricultural production based on life cycle assessment (LCA). The objective of this study was to estimate the CO 2 equivalent (eq) emissions from the traditional Cambodian diet using LCA, starting at each agricultural production phase. A one-year food consumption scenario with the traditional diet was established. Five breakfast (BF1–5) and seven lunch and dinner (LD1–7) food sets were consumed at the same rate and compared using LCA. The results showed that BF1 and LD2 had the lowest and highest emissions (0.3 Mt CO 2 eq/yr and 1.2 Mt CO 2 eq/yr, respectively). The food calories, minerals, and vitamins met the recommended dietary allowance. The country’s existing food production system generates CO 2 emissions of 9.7 Mt CO 2 eq/yr, with the proposed system reducing these by 28.9% to 6.9 Mt CO 2 eq/yr. The change in each food item could decrease emissions depending on the type and quantity of the food set, especially meat and milk consumption.

Keywords: carbon dioxide emission; Cambodian food; life cycle assessment; nutrient-rich diet (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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