Increasing Nitrogen Losses Due to Changing Food Consumption Patterns in Bayannur City, China

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Agricultural Science
• Food Systems Analysis

Background:

• Urbanization and affluence drive changes in food consumption, impacting food security and the environment.
• Nitrogen (N) fertilizer use is crucial for food security but causes pollution via N losses (acidification, eutrophication, greenhouse gases).

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the link between evolving food consumption patterns and nitrogen (N) losses in Bayannur City.
• To compare N losses across different agricultural regions within Bayannur.
• To explore sustainable food system pathways to mitigate N losses.

Main Methods:

• Integrated the Chinese Food System Dashboard and the Nutrient Flows in Food Chains, Environment and Resources Use (Nutri-Chain) model.
• Analyzed food consumption and N losses in Bayannur City from 2000 to 2016.
• Compared N losses across farming, farming-pastoral, and pastoral regions.

Main Results:

• Bayannur's diet shifted from high carbohydrate/pork to high fiber/herbivore, increasing N consumption.
• Per-capita food consumption decreased 11.55%, but per-capita N losses rose 12.42%.
• Pastoral regions showed the most significant N loss increase (112.33%); plant-oriented food contributed 53.39% to losses.

Conclusions:

• Dietary shifts, driven by low economic development, led to increased nitrogen consumption and environmental losses.
• Sustainable pathways include optimizing wheat and corn cultivation, expanding alfalfa and oat grass planting, and adopting modern farming technologies.