Summary
In Denmark, a study analyzing the nation’s potential to reduce its food system greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and resource footprint found that animal products account for 80% of the nation’s food-related footprint. The study found animal product substitutes as less climate-intensive than their animal counterparts. Reducing dairy consumption was the most effective in mitigating Denmark’s food system footprint. A strength of the study is assessing food system impacts beyond GHG emissions. Limitations of the study include the limited scope (i.e., to Denmark) of the assessment, leading to uncertainty if resulting data is extrapolated to a global scale. Overall, since animal products make up a large portion of food waste in Denmark, the study shows a need to prevent food waste of such products, and places emphasis on reductions in consumption of beef, dairy, and other animal products.
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