Beef and animal protein consumption as major sources of urban food related carbon emissions

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🔬研究者:Provides empirical data on dietary emission patterns in an urban developing-country setting.

🏢実務担当者:Food companies can use the emission intensity comparison to prioritize low-carbon protein sourcing.

🏛政策担当者:Supports integrating dietary change into climate mitigation strategies, especially for urban populations.

Introduction The diet related emissions constitute a significant source of global carbon emissions, with animal protein representing a major contributing component, especially high-emission products such as beef. This study aimed to analyze the key determinants significantly associated with carbon emissions arising from animal protein consumption and daily activities. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 respondents aged 18–70 years from middle-to-upper socioeconomic groups in South Jakarta and Depok. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of climate change and carbon emissions, animal protein consumption practices, carbon emissions from transportation, household appliances, food, and waste activities. Carbon emissions were estimated and analyzed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical methods. Results Food consumption was the primary driver of carbon emissions, accounting for 46.6% of the total, with animal protein contributing the largest share (59.6%). A substantial proportion was also observed in household appliances, whereas the lowest proportion was found in waste. Among animal protein sources, beef consumption emerged as the primary contributor, responsible for 45.6% of emissions. Significant differences in carbon emissions from both the food system and animal protein were observed across sociodemographic and knowledge-related variables, including age, family structure, income level, knowledge of climate change and greenhouse gases, awareness of the link between animal protein consumption and emissions, and dietary practices particularly beef consumption ( p  < 0.05). Marital status was also significantly associated with emissions from the food system ( p  < 0.05) due to the dietary pattern. Beef consumption exhibited a substantially higher emission intensity compared to other animal protein sources, with an impact approximately 45 times greater. Furthermore, urban respondents who consumed beef generated approximately 45-fold higher carbon emissions than those consuming alternative animal protein sources. Conclusion Animal protein consumption, particularly beef, is a major driver of carbon emissions, underscoring the need for low-carbon dietary interventions to promote sustainable consumption. Integrating such strategies into pre-climate related disaster nutrition planning such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, and landslides may enhance nutritional resilience while mitigating environmental impacts in the context of climate-related disasters.

• crossref https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1842044first seen 2026-07-16 07:27:13