Half of the greenhouse gas emissions from China's food system occur during food production

Food systems contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study uses a multi-regional input-output-based hybrid life cycle assessment model to analyze China's food system GHG emissions in 2019. The total emissions were estimated at 2.4 (95% CI: 1.6–3.2) gigatons CO₂-equivalent, with half originating from the production stage. Significant provincial variations were observed, largely due to the separation of food production and consumption, with wealthier coastal and central regions consuming food from western and northeastern regions. The study emphasizes the need for interregional collaboration in developing GHG emission reduction strategies for China's food system.

Gang Liu, Fan Zhang, Xiangzheng Deng