Food and land use. The influence of consumption patterns on the use of agricultural resources

This paper (Gerbens-Leenes W, Nonhebel, S (2005), Appetite 45 (2005)) assesses the relationship between food consumption patterns and the use of agricultural land. Despite the physiological limit to food consumption, a difference of a factor of 6 was found between the land requirement for a hypothetical diet based on wheat and the requirement for an affluent diet based on existing consumption patterns. Even in Europe, large differences were observed between land requirements for existing food consumption patterns.

These patterns can change rapidly over time, leading to other claims on the available land. In the Netherlands in the period 1950–1990, larger demand for more affluent foods such as cheese, beverages, fruits and meat led to a 40% rise of per capita land requirements. The method described and the results presented in this paper have led to new insights with respect to the large impact of food consumption patterns on the use of natural resources. This knowledge can be a valuable contribution to research concerning land required to feed future generations.

NB: An interesting point to emerge from the paper is the significant area of land needed for the cultivation of nutritionally ‘unnecessary’ but economically and culturally very important foods such as coffee.

Another paper, also by Sanderine Nonhebel may also be of interest. It builds upon earlier work she did along similar lines and the reference is as follows: Nonhebel S (2007). Energy from agricultural residues and consequences for land requirements for food production, Agricultural Systems 94 (586–592.