Berlin 2012 – scientific programme

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AGjDPG: Arbeitsgruppe junge DPG

AGjDPG 3: Focus Session: Big Data (Contributed Talks)

AGjDPG 3.6: Talk

Monday, March 26, 2012, 18:30–18:45, HE 101

Mapping dietary Patterns and their Transitions: Implications for the Environment — Prajal Pradhan, •Dominik E. Reusser, and Jürgen P. Kropp — Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

This study analyzes global, long term data on food consumption per country to identify typical patterns of diets. From these patterns, we derive typical food transition pathways on a global scale. Subsequently we assess the environmental consequences from green-house-gas (GHG) emission and anthropogenic inputs.

We used Self Organizing Map to identify the patterns and the transition pathways based on supply of 12 food groups from FAOSTAT dataset for a period 1961-2007. Data on energy output/input ratio for crop production and agricultural emission were used to estimate fossil energy used and GHG emission associated with the patterns.

We identified nine typical dietary patterns consisting high, moderate and low food intake with varied compositions along with a typical food transition pathway with one bifurcation. As expected, the high dietary patterns require higher fossil energy and lead to higher GHG emission. However related non-CO2 GHG emission intensities are relatively low.

Changes in dietary patterns are a part of the global change processes. Identification of past transitions is way to anticipate possible future transitions, which may supports policy processes.