The Innovation Team of Smart Agriculture at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has made significant progress in researching new pathways for "emission reduction and supply security" in urban food systems. Their related research findings, titled "Potential decarbonization for balancing local and non-local perishable food supply in megacities," have been published in "Resources, Environment and Sustainability" (IF 12.4).

Sustainable urban food systems are crucial for achieving the goals of "carbon peak and carbon neutrality," with interregional agricultural product allocation being a necessary support for ensuring urban food security. Currently, carbon emissions from agricultural production exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity inside and outside cities due to differences in resource endowments and scale operating of farmland. While food localization may reduce transportation-related emissions, its comprehensive impact on the overall emissions remains uncertain.

The research team constructed a carbon emission accounting model for local and non-local supply chains based on life cycle assessment (LCA), using Beijing and Shanghai as case studies. They revealed that every 1% increase in the localization of vegetables, poultry, and aquatic products decrease 2020 emissions by 0.4–1.9 tCO2e, but for beef and lamb, it increases emissions by 0.2–2.9 tCO2e. The impact of localization on fruits and pork varies between cities. By implementing differentiated localization strategies for seven categories of perishable foods, under the dual constraints of ensuring urban food security and resource availability, annual carbon emission reductions of 76 tCO2e (5%) for Beijing and 44 tCO2e (2%) for Shanghai could be achieved. Utilizing urban agriculture at all costs (i.e., without constraints) further reduced emissions by a factor of 3–4. The study proposed new insights into addressing the challenges of emission reduction and supply security in resource-constrained megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai: implementing "import substitution" for carbon-intensive ruminant meat (such as lamb and beef ) while prioritizing local resources for the production of vegetables, poultry, and aquatic products to promote a sustainable food supply system.

Dr. Lin Xintao, a doctoral student at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, is the primary author, with Researcher Qian Jianping serving as the corresponding author. This research was jointly funded by the State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key R&D Program of China, and the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

[Citation Method and Original Link]

Lin, X.T., Qian, J.P., Chen, J., Yu, Q.Y., You, L.Z., Chen, Q., Li, J.L., Xiao, P.N., Jiang, J.Y., 2025. Potential decarbonization for balancing local and non-local perishable food supply in megacities. Resour. Environ. Sustain. 20, 100206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100206

Original Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100206