Tracing Water, Energy, and Pollution Pressures Driven by Chinese Household Food Demand Within the Water–Energy–Food Nexus

Résumé fourni par la source

Household food demand mobilizes water, energy, and pollutants throughout supply chains. Using China’s 2023 211-sector input-output table and environmental accounts, this study traces supply-chain water withdrawal, total energy consumption, and actual loads of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) across 21 food-related sectors, including catering services (restaurants and related commercial food service activities). Household food demand induced 257 km3 of water withdrawal, 11.7 EJ of energy consumption, and the following pollutant loads: COD (1430 × 104 t), NH3-N (20.9 × 104 t), TN (129 × 104 t), and TP (20.5 × 104 t). Plant-based primary foods led water withdrawal and nutrient loads; animal-source primary foods generated 59.5% of COD; catering services had the largest energy share. Upstream sectors contributed 53.2% of water withdrawal, 75.6% of energy consumption, 45.1% of COD, and 52.2–52.3% of nutrient loads. Covering 80% of each burden required 12 origin–destination links for water withdrawal, 56 for energy consumption, 5 for COD, and 11 for each nutrient, indicating dispersed energy attribution. Grain, other agricultural products, and livestock and other animal products recurred as multi-pressure hotspots. A conditional 20% reduction in their direct intensities lowered water withdrawal by 15.7%, energy consumption by 2.6%, COD by 10.3%, and nutrient loads by 16.1–16.2%. These findings support targeted water and pollution measures alongside broader upstream energy-efficiency action.

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