Reducing the carbon footprint of our plates: A European perspective

Ever wondered how your dinner impacts the planet? A groundbreaking study from Dr. Mohammad Fazle Rabbi at the Coordination and Research Centre for Social Sciences, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Debrecen, Hungary, dives deep into this question—exploring how Europe can reduce its food-related carbon footprint and meet its ambitious sustainability goals. Published on July 16, 2025, in Sustainability Insights, this research evaluates eight European Union countries over a 12-year span (2010-2022) to uncover critical pathways toward a greener future.

The Carbon Culprits: From Farm to Fork

When it comes to our plates, not all stages of the food supply chain are created equal when it comes to carbon emissions. This study breaks down where the biggest environmental impacts lie:

• Food Processing: The heavyweight champion of emissions, accounting for an average of 30.5% of total emissions. In some countries, like France (52%) and Italy (47.8%), it’s even higher.
• Household Consumption: Your kitchen habits matter too! Household food consumption contributes significantly, with Germany (32.2%), Czechia (28.1%), and Portugal (26.7%) leading the pack.
• On-Farm Energy Use: Often overlooked, energy use on farms is another major contributor, especially in Hungary (25.2%) and Portugal (19.5%).

Systemic Inefficiencies: Where Waste Meets Emissions

One of the most eye-opening findings? The strong correlations between raw material consumption and both food packaging (r = 0.88) and agri-food system waste disposal (r = 0.93). These numbers reveal systemic inefficiencies that need urgent attention.

Regional Disparities: Sustainability Index Trends

The study also highlights significant regional differences in sustainability performance:

• Germany consistently scores high, with Sustainability Index values ranging from 0.8 to 1.2.
• Hungary and Portugal, however, struggle, often scoring in the negative range (-0.4 to -0.8).

Key Drivers of Change: Principal Component Analysis

Through Principal Component Analysis (PCA), researchers found that the first component explains 75.6% of total variance. Major contributors include:

• Raw material consumption
• Household food consumption emissions
• Consumption footprint

Decomposition analysis further shows that structural economic shifts and improvements in sustainability practices—especially in Italy, Portugal, and Spain—have played crucial roles in emission reductions.

Circular Economy Wins: Post-2013 Improvements

Good news: circular material use rates have improved notably after 2013 in France and post-2016 in Spain. These advancements highlight the potential for more sustainable resource management across the EU.

Policy Recommendations: Targeted Interventions for Maximum Impact

So, what can we do? Here are the key recommendations:

• Reduce On-Farm Emissions: Implementing renewable energy solutions and promoting efficient technologies could cut emissions by up to 50% in households.
• Promote Renewable Energy: Transitioning to cleaner energy sources can significantly lower processing emissions by over 20%.
• Incentivize Efficient Technologies: Encouraging the adoption of advanced technologies can streamline processes and minimize waste.

Join the Green Revolution: Let’s Make Every Meal Count

This isn’t just science—it’s a roadmap for a healthier planet. By understanding where emissions come from and how they can be reduced, we can take meaningful steps toward achieving the EU’s Green Deal targets. Big thanks to Dr. Mohammad Fazle Rabbi and his team at the University of Debrecen for shedding light on these critical issues. Together, let’s turn every meal into a step toward a sustainable future.

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• Title: Optimizing carbon emissions and SDG-12 performance in the EU food system
• Keywords: Carbon footprint; Sustainable food system; Food supply chain impact; Circular food economy; Sustainable production and consumption
• Citation: Rabbi, M.F. Optimizing carbon emissions and SDG-12 performance in the EU food system. Carbon Res. 4, 54 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44246-025-00220-w 

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About Carbon Research

The journal Carbon Research is an international multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on natural and engineered carbonaceous materials that are associated with ecological and environmental functions, energy generation, and global change. It is a fully Open Access (OA) journal and the Article Publishing Charges (APC) are waived until Dec 31, 2025. It is dedicated to serving as an innovative, efficient and professional platform for researchers in the field of carbon functions around the world to deliver findings from this rapidly expanding field of science. The journal is currently indexed by Scopus and Ei Compendex, and as of June 2025, the dynamic CiteScore value is 15.4.

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