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Nitrogen efficiency in food production and consumption, for instance, is low. In the case of Norway, 90% of nitrogen inputs in agriculture are lost somewhere on their way to the kitchen (7). This has a negative effect on water quality and ecosystems (4, 7

When agricultural practices are similar, 1 kg of fresh vegetables is environmentally preferable to 1 kg of meat.

Available data presented here suggest that on average, and in several specific cases, vegetarian food has an environmental advantage as evaluated by present LCIA methodology. It should be noted, however, that this conclusion does not necessarily extend to all specific instances

necessarily extend to all sp

necessarily extend to all sp

Organic agriculture was found to have the lowest effect and also has advantages as to soil quality and biodiversity, aspects currently not covered by LCIAs (37–39), though it is at a disadvantage regarding land requirements because crop yields tend to be lower than in conventional production systems (38, 39

Salt, drought and nutrient resilience crops are being developed by plant breeders

grown in the field using good soil nutrient and water management packages that are tailor-made to local growing conditions

problems, and are serious threats to the production of major world food crops such as wheat, rice and maize. It is estimated that over 77M ha of land is devastated by drought, salinity and nutrient deficiencies that are brought about by long-term nutrient mining and climate change and variability.

bility. Using these technologies, soil scientists, plant nutritionists and plant breeding and genetic scientists work together to bring about solutions and hope to farmers in areas that are vulnerable to soil fertility and environmental stresses.

Traditionally, the food-processing industry has been a large water user. Water is used for several purposes: a principal ingredient, an initial and intermediate cleaning source, an efficient transportation conveyor of raw materials, and the principal agent used in sanitizing plant areas and machinery. Table 2 shows typical rates of water use for various food-processing sectors. An abundant and inexpensive source of water is a requirement for success in the food-processing industry. This coincides with the same need for water resources in agricultural farmland activities.

Wastewater and solid wastes are the primary area of pollution control within the fruit and vegetable food-processing industry. Their wastewater is high in suspended solids, and organic sugars and starches and may contain residual pesticides. Solid wastes include organic materials from mechanical preparation processes, that is, rinds, seeds, and skins from raw materials. For the most part, solid waste that is not resold as animal feed is handled by conventional biological treatment or composting. The total amount of material generated is a function of the amount of raw material moved through a facility, for example, for a given weight of apples processed comes a set amount of peel and seed waste.

retreatment opportunities and water conservation will continue to be principal targets for pollution prevention source reduction practices in the food-processing industry. Pretreatment options look to minimize the loss of raw materials to the food-processing waste streams. Water used in conveying materials, facility cleanup, or other noningredient uses will be reduced, which in turn will reduce the wastewater volume from food-processing facilities. Wastewater treatment will continue to be the pollution prevention treatment focus for food-processing companies. The industry will continue to implement advanced innovative techniques to lessen the environmental impact of food-processing discharge wastewaters.