Potential decarbonization for balancing local and non-local perishable food supply in megacities

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cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and developing country institute
cg.authorship.typesCGIAR single centre
cg.contributor.affiliationChinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
cg.contributor.affiliationZhejiang A&F University
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Food Policy Research Institute
cg.contributor.donorNational Natural Science Foundation of China
cg.contributor.donorNational Key Research and Development Program of China
cg.contributor.donorCentral Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund
cg.contributor.initiativeClimate Resilience
cg.contributor.initiativeForesight
cg.contributor.programAcceleratorPolicy Innovations
cg.coverage.countryChina
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2CN
cg.coverage.regionAsia
cg.coverage.regionEastern Asia
cg.creator.identifierLiangzhi You: 0000-0001-7930-8814
cg.howPublishedFormally Published
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100206
cg.identifier.projectIFPRI - Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit
cg.identifier.publicationRankNot ranked
cg.isijournalISI Journal
cg.issn2666-9161
cg.journalResources, Environment and Sustainability
cg.reviewStatusPeer Review
cg.subject.actionAreaSystems Transformation
cg.subject.impactAreaClimate adaptation and mitigation
cg.volume20
dc.contributor.authorLin, Xintao
dc.contributor.authorQian, Jianping
dc.contributor.authorChen, Jian
dc.contributor.authorYu, Qiangyi
dc.contributor.authorYou, Liangzhi
dc.contributor.authorChen, Qian
dc.contributor.authorLi, Jiali
dc.contributor.authorXiao, Pengnan
dc.contributor.authorJiang, Jingyi
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-12T21:14:39Zen
dc.date.available2025-03-12T21:14:39Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/173600
dc.titlePotential decarbonization for balancing local and non-local perishable food supply in megacitiesen
dcterms.abstractEnsuring urban food security while reducing carbon emissions from food systems is a key challenge. Food localization can reduce transport emissions; however, its role in agricultural production emissions reductions is unclear. Here, we explored the effects of localization of seven perishables, incorporating emissions from production and cold-chain logistics, in Beijing and Shanghai, China; determined decarbonization under different scenarios by increasing or decreasing the localization, with or without constrains, of each food category (balancing strategy). The results show that every 1% increase in the localization of vegetables, poultry, and aquatic products decreased 2020 emissions by 0.4–1.9 tCO2e, but for beef and lamb, it increased emissions by 0.2–2.9 tCO2e. Localization decreased cold-chain emission shares for all foods. The balancing strategy with constraints reduced emissions by 0.76 MtCO2e (5%) and 0.44 MtCO2e (2%) in 2020 in Beijing and Shanghai, respectively. Utilizing urban agriculture at all costs (i.e., without constraints) further reduced emissions by a factor of 3–4. Over 90% of Beijing’s emissions added by 2035 under the business-as-usual scenario were projected to be offset by the strategy. In Shanghai, the strategy could reduce emissions by an additional 0.44 MtCO2e. The results indicate that expanding imports of carbon-intensive ruminant meat to replace local production and reallocating urban resources to vegetables, poultry, and aquatic products could lead to more sustainable food supplies in megacities. Further development of cold-chain logistics is expected to reduce emissions in synergy with the balancing strategy. Our results could help inform better food system planning in megacities.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.audienceAcademics
dcterms.available2025-02-25
dcterms.bibliographicCitationLin, Xintao; Qian, Jianping; Chen, Jian; Yu, Qiangyi; You, Liangzhi; Chen, Qian; et al. 2025. Potential decarbonization for balancing local and non-local perishable food supply in megacities. Resources, Environment and Sustainability 20(June 2025): 100206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100206en
dcterms.issued2025-06
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
dcterms.publisherElsevier
dcterms.subjectfood securityen
dcterms.subjecturban areasen
dcterms.subjectagricultural productionen
dcterms.subjectemissionen
dcterms.subjectcarbonen
dcterms.subjectcold chainsen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

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