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GROUP 5, SESSION B: FOOD PRODUCTS 8 th Int. Conference on LCA in the
Agri-Food Sector, 1-4 Oct 2012
136. Analysis of material and energy flow associated with food
production and consumption in Japan
Naoki Yoshikawa 1,* , Koji Amano 1 , Koji Shimada 2
1 Ritsumeikan University, College of Science and Engineering, Kusatsu, Japan, 2 Ritsumeikan University,
College of Economics, Kusatsu, Japan, Corresponding author. E-mail: n-yoshik@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp
The potential load on the environment due to food systems has been discussed for years. In the existing research
(Shindo et al., 2010; Oda, 2006) on food systems, nitrogen accumulation in Japan is attributed to increase
in food import, increase in chemical fertiliser input, and changes in food consumption patterns. Life
cycle thinking plays an important role in understanding the comprehensive flow of energy, carbon, water,
and other important materials associated with the systems for food production/consumption and biomass
(food waste) utilisation. Such evaluation is required for estimating the comprehensive effect of future
changes in consumption patterns, biomass policy, and agricultural technologies.
In this study, the material flow associated with food systems, including waste treatment and recycling, is
evaluated. In particular, we focus on the energy flow, including some indicators that reflect the energy effectiveness
of food systems and the utilisation level of biomass and food waste.
The energy flows investigated in this study are related to the following types of energy:
1. Cumulative non-renewable energy
2. Feedstock energy related to food and biomass
3. Nutritionist's calories of food
In this study, we evaluated 47 commodities of food. They were evaluated on the basis of the following indicators:
a. Effectiveness of utilisation of food waste and co-products (EF-w)
EP AE EC FSE2
( EF w)
FSE1
Here, FSE1: Feedstock energy before treatment/utilisation of food waste and co-products; EP: Energy production
via utilisation of food waste/co-products; AE: Alternative effect of material recycling; EC: Energy
consumption during treatment/utilisation of food waste and co-products; FSE2: Feedstock energy after treatment/utilisation
of food waste and co-products.
b. Energy effectiveness of food supply/consumption (EF-f)
FE
( EF f )
TI EP AE
Here, TI: Cumulative non-renewable energy used; FE: Total energy intake for a food system
The data pertaining to material flow and food transportation are collected from statistics, reports, and experts.
The data pertaining to energy consumption during food production are collected from papers or calculated
from production-cost data.
Fig. 1 shows the material flow of food products in Japan in 2005. The amount of input from crop farming to
animal farming is roughly the same as that to that from food manufacturing. The flow from food manufacturing
to animal farming denotes the flow of rice and wheat bran. The internal flow related to crop farming consists
of the incorporation of residues. The comprehensive approach employed in this study can be used to
evaluate the effect of active utilisation (for example, bioethanol production or composting of straw) by considering
alternatives for organic materials used in farmlands and future change in grain consumption, which
are necessary for deciding long-term policies.
References
Shindo J., Okamoto K., Kawashima H., Konohira E, 2010. Nitrogen flow associated with food production
and consumption and its effect on water quality in Japan from 1961 to 2005. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr., 55(4),
pp. 532-545
Oda K., 2006. Trends in nitrogen flow since the 1980s in the food and feed system in Japan. Jpn. J. Soil Sci.
Plant Nutr., 77, pp. 517-524 (in Japanese with an English abstract)
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