The Haber-Bosch Process and the Global Food System
The Haber-Bosch process is an industrial method that synthesizes ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen, providing the foundation for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. It is estimated to…
Topic archive
Food, Water & Land Sustainability
Guides on integrated approaches to managing food, water, and land resources sustainably
Local Food vs Low-Carbon Food: Understanding the Difference
Local food is defined by geographic proximity, while low-carbon food is defined by its total greenhouse gas emissions across the entire supply chain. Although…
Planetary Health Diet Explained: The EAT-Lancet Commission Report
The EAT-Lancet Commission proposed a global reference diet that could feed 10 billion people by 2050 while preventing about 11 million premature deaths annually…
Ammonia Pollution From Agriculture: Sources, Impacts, and Solutions
Ammonia pollution from agriculture is the release of gaseous ammonia (NH₃) into the air from livestock manure and nitrogen fertilizers. Once airborne, ammonia reacts…
Soil Carbon Credits: Measurement and Permanence Problems
Soil carbon credits aim to offset emissions by storing carbon in agricultural soils, but face major hurdles in accurate measurement, ensuring permanence, and proving…
Vertical Farming: Energy, Land and Water Trade-Offs
Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers within controlled indoor environments, using technologies like hydroponics and LED lighting. It…
Why Fertilizer Runoff Causes Dead Zones
Fertilizer runoff carries excess nitrogen and phosphorus into waterways, fueling massive algal blooms. When these algae die and decompose, the process consumes oxygen, creating…
Conventional vs Organic Agriculture: Environmental Trade-Offs
The environmental trade-offs between conventional and organic agriculture involve balancing factors such as land use, chemical inputs, biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions. Organic farming…
Food Systems and Planetary Boundaries
Learn how food systems affect climate, biodiversity, freshwater, land, nutrients, and the planetary boundaries—and how sustainable food systems can nourish people and the planet.
Which Foods Have the Largest Environmental Footprint?
Animal-based foods, particularly beef and lamb, have the largest environmental footprints in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption. Plant-based foods…