Scenarios of Sustainable Development and Innovation of the Agro-industrial System

Massimo Iannetta - ENEAHead, Technical Unit “Sustainable Development and Innovation of the Agro-industrial System”

ENEA April 14, 2011

From Nuclear Research to Agri-food production: the Creso wheat case

Content

• Demographic trends and food consumption

• Sustainability of the food chain

• Environmental impact

• Green technologies

• Possible answers by scientific research

Problem: Continuous growth, based on a linear consumption of energy and raw materials, on a planet that has limited resources. 1900 >1,6 billion people >1,3 billion hectars of arable land2000 >6,5 billion people >1,5 billion hectars of arable land2050 >9 billion people > +/- 1,5 billion hectars of arable land (abandonment / urbanization)

Resources: Water (3.000 sqm/year/inhabitant of virtual water, hydric stress / penury), Soil (salinization: 20-30 mil.ha/260 irrigated land), Forestry (Deforestation 13 mil.ha/year), Biodiversity (-30%), Sea (Oceanic fisheries, 75% over carrying capacity), Air (Fossil fuels +70% CO2 in 30 years, 49 billion ton., over 450 ppm).

(Global Footprint Network)

Demographic trend: living beyond our means

Ecologic footprint of the Planet : consumption/waste1961-2001> Energy consumption +700%1961-2008> Use of nature: from 55% to 140% of the biocapacity of the Planet2010> Overshoot Day 19th September, 262th day of the year (in 1986 on 31st December)

Energy and Natural resources Consumption levelUSA (5,4 Earths), Canada (4,2), UK (3,1), DE (2,5), IT (2,2), Arg(1,2),

Emergent countries, India (0,4)

Food consuption at global level: Reduction of the gap between malnutrition (food security) and obesity (food safety)

(Global Footprint Network)

Food consuption

Agriculturesoilfeed

waterfertilizerspesticides

energy

Loss of soilPolluting

GreenhouseGases

emissionsWaste water

Organic waste

Domesticpreparation

waterenergy

refrigerationpackaging

Greenhousegases

PollutingemissionsFood andPackaging

waste

Distribution

energyrefrigeration

packagingfuel

GreenhouseGases

Pollutingemissions

Transport

fuelrefrigeration

GreenhouseGases

Pollutingemissions

Foodprocessing

water, energyadditives

refrigerationpackaging

Waste waterwaste

Greenhousegases

Pollutingemissions

Sustainability of food products:Responsibility of the whole food chain

OUTPUT

Energy consumption

An indicator of the unsustainability of the contemporary food system is the Sustainability Index (SI)*

1910 (pre-industrial societies) SI = 11970 SI = 10Today SI >100

e.g.: Salad imported by plane from USA: SI» 127Asparagus importated from Chile: SI » 97Carrots imported from South Africa SI » 66(Church, 2005)

*SI= Energy required to produce the food/Energy content of the food

Food Miles

Food miles is another indicator that is being increasingly adopted in UK (several supermarkets – Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s – provide labels for their products) and Carbon footprint labels (e.g., Km0) are being taken to the attention of Italian mass-media.

The transport of food is only one of the factors that determine its global environmental impact.

How the food is produced and using what kind of energy should be taken into account.

Life Cycle Assessment LCA

LCA allows to:

evaluate and optimize the environmental impact of a product / process / activityalong its whole life cycle, from production of the raw material and ingredients to transformation, distribution, consumption and disposal of the residuals, including all movements.

A better strategy would be to examine the whole life cycle of the food products by means of a Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the food supply chain, rather than considering only Food Miles.

Grave Analysis

Life Cycle Energy Input (LCEI) and Global Warming Potential (GWP) of several food items

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

FB

C

FC

M

RC

G

TO

D

PS

C B

RC

S

RP

OO

BS E M

WM

Y

FL

FP B

PA

S

F/F

JO

VT

L

SS

M

DL

P

LC

EI (M

J/K

g)

0,01

0,10

1,00

10,00

100,00F

BC

RC

G

FC

M

TO

D

PS

C

DL

P

RC

S

FL

FP

BS

PA

S

OO

WM

Y E

SS

M B M RP

VT

L

F/F

JO B

FOODSTUFF

GW

P (

Kg

CO

2e

/Kg

)

DLPDried legumes (Peas)

SSMSemi-skimmed milk

VTLVegetables (Tomatoes, lettuce)

F/FJOFruit or fruit juice (Orange)

PASPasta

BBread

FLFPFresh legumes (Frozen peas)

WMYWhole milk yogurt

MMargarine

EEggs

BS2-4 biscuits (Shortbread)

OOOlive oil

RPRoast potatoes

RCSRoast chicken, skinless

BButter

PSCPork steak, cooked

TODTuna in oil, drained

RCGRipened cheese (Grana)

FCMFresh cheese (Mozzarella)

FBCFillet of beef, cooked

DLPDried legumes (Peas)

SSMSemi-skimmed milk

VTLVegetables (Tomatoes, lettuce)

F/FJOFruit or fruit juice (Orange)

PASPasta

BBread

FLFPFresh legumes (Frozen peas)

WMYWhole milk yogurt

MMargarine

EEggs

BS2-4 biscuits (Shortbread)

OOOlive oil

RPRoast potatoes

RCSRoast chicken, skinless

BButter

PSCPork steak, cooked

TODTuna in oil, drained

RCGRipened cheese (Grana)

FCMFresh cheese (Mozzarella)

FBCFillet of beef, cooked

LCAfood.dk

Environmental Impact

In Italy, the agro-industry is responsible for about 18% of the total emission of greenhouse gases (details below)Source ISMEA 2009, Rapporto Agricarbon

Agro-industrial chain

Mt CO2 eq.

Production (fertilizers, plowing, use of water, etc.) 47,1

Enteric fermentation (methane* from animal breeding) 11,6

Solid and liquid waste (Nitrous oxide** and Ammonia ) 6,9

Industrial processing 5,5

Packaging 13,1

Transport 19,8

Total *** 104,00

* Methane has a greenhouse effect 20 times that of CO2

** Nitrous oxide has a greenhouse effect 300 times that of CO2

*** An estimate of the contributions of consumption modalities and food waste during distribution is still missing.

11Fare clic per inserire il Titolo della presentazione

Human induced global environmental changes (GEC)

Human health

Social structures

Climate, Environment and territory

Economy

Imp

acts

Intrinsic vulnerability of ecosystems

Vulnerability induced by the impact of GEC

Climate change is one of the most critical factors, in terms of speed and intensity, underlying the observed processes

Global Environmental Changes (GEC)

Cambiamenti Climatici ed Agro-ecosistemi

Roma, 13 settembre 2007

Climate Change

Fare clic per inserire il Titolo della presentazione

Scenarios for the Mediterranean

Increase of temperatures

Increase of extreme events

Increase of evaporation

Seasonal variation of precipitation and reduction in some areas

Unpredictable changes, beyond our experience

Climate change + Human

activities

Coastal areas at risk

Hydrogeologic

instability

Desertification

Agricoltural

crisis

Loss of

biodiversity

Impacts

Impacts

Health

Mitigation and Adaptation for Agriculture

and Food Security

Climate change

Net greenhouse gas

Land use change

Water Biodiversity

Agriculture and forestry

Food security

Impacts

Adaptation Mitigation

Theme issues around agriculture and climate change

Aim at reducing risks and damage Use scarce resources more efficiently

Act both on natural systems and on human activities to make ecosystems “climate proof”

Po

lluti

on

(e.g

., C

O2

, to

xic

chem

ical

co

mp

ost

)

Economic Development

Conventional Technologies

Green technologies and methodologies for Bio-economy

Answers

PRODUCTION

PROTECTION

DIAGNOSTICAUTOMATION

CONSERVATION

PROCESSING

LOGISTIC

PACKAGING

Enea has competences, laboratories and facilities that are available to enterprises for activities of industrial research and precompetitive development on these

themes

ENEA research activities along the entire chain

ENEA activities concern:

Green biotechnologies

Sustainable management of agro-ecosystems

Agro-industrial innovation

Methods and reference materials for quality testing of chemicaland biological products

ENEA Activities onSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND AGRO-INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION

International Consortia in plant genomics and proteomics

Sequencing of tomato genome (109 bp)

Grape berry proteomics

Wheat Chromosome Sorting

(a) (b)

Experimental fields during the initial growth (a) and stress (b) at the CIMMYT in Obregon, Mexico, in a desert area

A gene related to hydric stress, TdDRF1, has been identified in wheat.Several varieties of wheat, durum wheat and triticale were examined

Varieties that are especially tolerant to hydric andsaline stress:Lentil, various beans, barley, chickpea, artichoke,Brassica and safflower.

Integration of genomic approach and selective breeding

Optimizing the production inputs

Actions should be adapted to local conditions on the basis of environmental and socio-economic evaluations:

Adherence (to physiographic and climatic conditions)

Effectivness (in terms of conservation of water and soil, carbon stocking)

Acceptability (as related to the gross income, farm size and age of farmers )

Traditional knowledgeModified plow

Innovation: Precision farmingComputer on board the New Holland CX860 harvester (left) and the same harvester at work ona durum wheat field (right).

Priorities for a better global future

Scientific cooperation with developing countries and technological transfer

“Desertification Observatory for Environmental and Socio-

Economic Sustainability”

Industrial plant for the treatment of oil mill waste waters, an ENEA patent and an ENEA spin-off

- development of buckwheat enriched functional food

- improvement of sensory terms and quality

- technologies and microwave innovative processes to improve quality and shelf life of ingredients and foods with high environmental performance

Advanced technologies and processes to guarantee the quality of “Made in Italy” food product

Innovative logistics platform for fruit and vegetables for national and foreign markets

Final considerations

The good story that we are telling today is a great heritage of our Country and of ENEA

We have to go on in the future, taking into account this important experience!

It is enough?

No, if the international political agenda won’t put at the first place the problem of food security and safety, its relationship with environment, health, people security and their material and spiritual development.

27

Thank you

ENEA

in A

gro

-in

du

stry

ENEA UTAGRI

http://utagri.enea.it