Each year, 23 million pigs, 16 million cows, and 244 million chickens in the catchment together produce manure containing two million tons of nitrogen and 0.4 million tons of phosphorus. This can be compared to 85 million people living in the same area.

Our diets have implications not only for our health, but also for the environment. This fact sheet describes the linkages between trade, production, and consumption of crop and livestock products and how it affects eutrophication in the Baltic Sea.

Agriculture is the single largest source of human-related nutrients to the Baltic Sea, contributing about 40% of total waterborne nitrogen inputs and 30% of total phosphorus inputs.

Globally, the consumption of livestock products has increased drastically since the mid-1990 and continues to rise. This increase in consumer demand has impacted the agricultural systems in the region, but because food is now a global business, there is often no regional link between consumption and production. As a result, reducing the consumption of livestock products in the Baltic Sea catchment could lead to different outcomes depending on how farmers respond.

This fact sheet describes the linkages between trade, production, and consumption of crop and livestock products and how it affects eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. It is recommended to read as a complement to the Policy Brief "How changes in farm structure could help reduce nutrient leakage to the Baltic Sea"

Read and download:
Fact Sheet: Can changing our diets help the Baltic Sea? (221 Kb)

Fact sheet on consumption with references (59 Kb)

Policy Brief: How changes in farm structure could help reduce nutrient leakage to the Baltic Sea (324 Kb)

Policy Brief on farm structure with references (84 Kb)

CONTACT

Annika Svanbäck
Agronomist, Baltic Eye, Baltic Sea Centre
+46 (0)8 16 31 50, annika.svanback@su.se

Michelle McCrackin
Biogeochemist, Baltic Eye, Baltic Sea Centre
+46 (0)8 16 17 78, michelle.mccrackin@su.se