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:
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:
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:
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:
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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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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Carbon Research
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Optimizing carbon emissions and SDG-12 performance in the EU food system
16-Jul-2025