title: The environmental impact of fertilizer embodied in a wheat-to-bread supply chain.
abstract: Food production and consumption cause approximately one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions1-3, and therefore delivering food security challenges not only the capacity of our agricultural system, but also its environmental sustainability4-7. Knowing where and at what level environmental impacts occur within particular food supply chains is necessary if farmers, agri-food industries and consumers are to share responsibility to mitigate these impacts7,8. Here we present an analysis of a complete supply chain for a staple of the global diet, a loaf of bread. We obtained primary data for all the processes involved in the farming, production and transport systems that lead to the manufacture of a particular brand of 800 g loaf. The data were analysed using an advanced life cycle assessment (LCA) tool9, yielding metrics of environmental impact, including greenhouse gas emissions. We show that more than half of the environmental impact of producing the loaf of bread arises directly from wheat cultivation, with the use of ammonium nitrate fertilizer alone accounting for around 40%. These findings reveal the dependency of bread production on the unsustainable use of fertilizer and illustrate the detail needed if the actors in the supply chain are to assume shared responsibility for achieving sustainable food production.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Resource Efficiency Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 1FL, UK.|Management School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 1FL, UK.
authors.forename: Liam
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goucher
authors.affiliation: Management School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 1FL, UK.|Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: Plant Production and Protection (P3) Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.|Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Duncan D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: Advanced Resource Efficiency Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 1FL, UK.|Management School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 1FL, UK.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lenny Koh
authors.affiliation: Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.|Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Horton
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D001939:Bread / Q000032:analysis / Q000600:supply & distribution; D004777:Environment; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005511:Food Handling; D005523:Food Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D009566:Nitrates; C006568:ammonium nitrate