title: Socioeconomic driving factors of nitrogen load from food consumption and preventive measures.
abstract: To diagnose environmental nitrogen (N) load from food consumption and to suggest preventive measures, this study identified relationships between nitrogen load from food consumption and driving factors by examining six representative countries and regions for the period 1970-2009 as an example. The logarithmic mean Divisia index technique was used to disassemble nitrogen load growth into four driving factors: population, economic activity, food intensity of the economy, and nitrogen content of food. In all study areas, increased economic activity was the main factor driving nitrogen load increase. The positive effect of population growth was relatively small but not negligible and changes in food intensity had a decreasing effect on nitrogen load. Changes in nitrogen content of food varied between areas. Broad strategies to reduce and mitigate nitrogen loading and decouple nitrogen load from economic growth in both developed and developing countries are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, D2-1(510), Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan, liu.chen@b.mbox.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinling
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.forename: Yoshitsugu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Tetsuzo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasunari
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia; D004032:Diet; D057217:Economic Development; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D005060:Europe; D059066:Gross Domestic Product; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D011156:Population Density; D011158:Population Growth; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009584:Nitrogen