Publications
Assessing the circularity of nutrient flows related to the food system in the Okanagan bioregion, BC Canada. Journal Article
Harder, Robin; Giampietro, Mario; Mullinix, Kent; Smukler, Sean
In: Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 174 , pp. 105842, 2021, ISSN: 09213449.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Agriculture, Circularity, Feed and food trade, Food systems, Nutrient flows, System openness
@article{Harder2021,
title = {Assessing the circularity of nutrient flows related to the food system in the Okanagan bioregion, BC Canada.},
author = {Robin Harder and Mario Giampietro and Kent Mullinix and Sean Smukler},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0921344921004511},
doi = {10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105842},
issn = {09213449},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-11-01},
journal = {Resources, Conservation and Recycling},
volume = {174},
pages = {105842},
publisher = {Elsevier},
abstract = {The “circular bioeconomy” is extensively discussed in science and policy, and its implementation in practice is considered to be a panacea for fixing many current sustainability problems. The circular bioeconomy crucially depends on biological and technical processes capable of recycling nutrients in the right mix, at the right pace, and using only renewable energy. The current lack of circularity of nutrient flows is a critical factor that hampers sustainable food and bioeconomy systems. If we are serious about the sustainability of food and bioeconomy systems, we have to develop more robust tools to study (diagnose) and explore (simulate) the factors determining the circularity of nutrient flows. This paper applies a novel analytical framework to assess the circularity of nutrient flows in modern food systems. This framework can help understand the potentialities of proposed changes in relation to reducing nutrient losses and the dependence on nutrients mined from finite deposits. More specifically, in this paper, we illustrate a quantitative assessment of the flows of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium in a case study \textendash the food system of the Okanagan bioregion in BC Canada. Our study suggests that the proposed approach is effective to inform nutrient management policies in bioregional food systems. In particular, an assessment of the openness of nutrient flows flags the importance of managing organic residuals for comprehensive nutrient recovery and reuse \textendash an activity that is still often systematically neglected due to large feed and food imports and the availability of cheap synthetic fertilizers. This type of analysis is essential if we want to develop effective policies for more sustainable management of nutrients in food and bioeconomy systems.},
keywords = {Agriculture, Circularity, Feed and food trade, Food systems, Nutrient flows, System openness},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Towards a circular nutrient economy. A novel way to analyze the circularity of nutrient flows in food systems Journal Article
Harder, Robin; Giampietro, Mario; Smukler, Sean
In: Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 172 , pp. 105693, 2021, ISSN: 09213449.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Agriculture, Bioeconomy, Circularity, Feed and food trade, Nutrient flows, System openness
@article{Harder2021a,
title = {Towards a circular nutrient economy. A novel way to analyze the circularity of nutrient flows in food systems},
author = {Robin Harder and Mario Giampietro and Sean Smukler},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0921344921003025},
doi = {10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105693},
issn = {09213449},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-09-01},
journal = {Resources, Conservation and Recycling},
volume = {172},
pages = {105693},
publisher = {Elsevier},
abstract = {Recent years have seen a steep rise in the interest in nutrient circularity. In the context of food systems and waste management, nutrient circularity seems to generally encompass the reduction of nutrient losses and increased recovery of nutrients from various organic residual streams for reuse in agricultural production. Many studies that aim to contribute to improving nutrient circularity in food systems have limited the analysis to a given geographical area. But nutrient circularity likely looks different when the analysis includes what happens outside the borders of the considered area. This paper presents and discusses an analytical framework that allows for the analysis of nutrient circularity not only inside a given geographical area being considered, but also in those parts of the global food system with which the local food system interacts in terms of feed and food trade. This framework explicitly characterizes the impact of system openness associated with feed and food trade. This enables: (i) a separate discussion of four possible interpretations of nutrient circularity \textendash internal and external input and output circularity; and (ii) an analysis of how these four circularity indicators relate to one another depending on system openness. The proposed analysis can thus reveal the extent to which a high level of nutrient circularity in the considered area comes at the cost of a decreased level of nutrient circularity in the places with which feed and food are traded, or vice versa.},
keywords = {Agriculture, Bioeconomy, Circularity, Feed and food trade, Nutrient flows, System openness},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
AGAUR Grant ID 2017 SGR 230 / Copyright © 2023