Alexander J. Stein
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ajstein.bsky.social
Alexander J. Stein
@ajstein.bsky.social
5.5K followers 250 following 2.9K posts
Agricultural economist interested in food, nutrition, health, sustainability. PhD. EU. Private account. Posts + Likes ≠ endorsements. Blocking trolls, unsupported claims etc. More infos at www.AJStein.de
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ajstein.bsky.social
Or, with some nice figures for illustration, see:
ourworldindata.org/carbon-footp... or ourworldindata.org/less-meat-or...
Figure showing the greenhouse gas emissions from protein-rich foods, which are much higher for beef and lamb, and still highg for farmed shrimp, cheese, pork, chicken, eggs and farmed fish, and then getting lower for tofu, beans and peas, and negative for nuts (as tree nuts remove CO2 from the air).
February 1, 2026 at 8:51 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
How can one test the effectiveness of front-of-pack (FOP) #nutrition labels not by putting those labels on the front of food products' packaging, but by asking #consumers to use a mobile app to cumbersomely visualize food #label info on their phones? ... (1/2)
Screenshot of the article "Effectiveness of different front-of-pack nutritional labels in promoting greater adherence to the mediterranean diet among Italian consumers" by Muzzioli et al. (2026). The abstract says: "The prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases is progressively increasing... the European Commission declared its intention to adopt a common front-of-pack label (FOPL) to inform European consumers and enable them to choose nutritionally appropriate foods... The study was designed as a randomized-controlled trial, consisting of three conditions: use of Nutri-Score label vs. use of Battery label vs. no label (control condition). 1900 Italian adult participants were asked to use for one month a mobile application to visualize food label information... Data showed low use of labels: more than 6 out of 10 consumers never used them during the 30-day intervention period..."
January 23, 2026 at 12:40 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
Putting #solarpanels on land used for biofuels would produce enough #electricity for all of the world’s cars & trucks to go electric.
The world dedicates a Poland-sized area to liquid #biofuels, even though there is a more efficient way to generate energy: ourworldindata.org/biofuel-land... #landuse
Figure showing how much energy can be produced per year on global land currently used for liquid biofuels: 1,400 TWh with biofules for transport vs 31,000 TWh (as much electricity as the world generated in 2024) with solar panels.
January 14, 2026 at 11:31 AM
ajstein.bsky.social
The #environment impact of the UK fresh apple #supplychain depends on the sourcing locations. Total GHG #emission across production, storage, processing & transport are lowest for #apples from #Chile, followed by apples from the #UK and Europe: doi.org/10.1016/j.ag... #foodmiles #localfood
Table 1: Average greenhouse gas emission (kg CO2e/kg) by reported stage for apple production and the supply chain by region of production considering United Kingdom, Europe, New Zealand, South Africa and Chile. Total GHG emissions are 0.445 for apples from the UK and only 0.440 for apples from Chile.
January 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
#Legumes, nuts & seeds (the blue boxes) are rich in #protein and provide as much #nutrition as the—more expensive—animal-source foods like #beef, #tuna, #milk, #pork, #sardines or #chicken (the red boxes), as shown in the top row of the Figure below, but… (1/3) doi.org/10.1038/s430... #meat #dairy
Figure caption: Shares of dietary energy and GHG emissions by item in three benchmark healthy diets, 2021. Figure legend: Row (a), Dietary energy shares of food items are colour coded in each of six HDB food groups: animal-source foods; starchy staples; legumes, nuts and seeds; vegetables; fruits; and oils and fats. Row (b), Shares of GHG-equivalent (GHGe) emissions are shown for each item in the same food groups. Both sets of results are shown for three extreme benchmark diet scenarios: diet 1 (lowest-cost items), diet 2 (lowest-emission items) and diet 3 (most common items) in each country. Data shown are from 171 countries for diets 1 and 2 and 159 countries for diet 3.
December 13, 2025 at 4:21 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
It costs little to build an army of fake #socialmedia accounts for online #manipulation, which can be used for everything from boosting a lie to running a financial #fraud (e.g. $100 can buy over 4300 verifications for X/Twitter accounts): doi.org/10.1126/scie... #fakenews #Twitter
Cambridge Online Trust and Safety Index: 100 USD can buy 4357 verifications for Twitter/X accounts.
December 13, 2025 at 2:27 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
The development of new #antibiotics will not be enough to curb the rise in #deaths from drug-resistant #infections, for which the misuse & overuse of #antimicrobials in human medicine & #agriculture are the main drivers… (1/2) doi.org/10.1038/d415... #health #AMR
Chart showing how the use of antimicrobial drugs in livestock is on the rise and is expected to increase by almost 30% from 1019 to 2040 (from a little more than 90,000 tons to over 140,000 tons).
November 4, 2025 at 2:24 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
A person from the richest 0.1% produces more carbon #pollution per day than someone in the bottom 50% produces all year. To stay within the 1.5°C threshold, the richest 0.1% would need to cut their per capita #emissions by 99% by 2030. Yet… (1/2) www.oxfam.org/en/press-rel... #carbon #climatechange
A chart showing the percentage responsibility for climate breakdown, with the USA responsible for 40%, EU-28 29%, rest of Europe 13% and rest of Global North 10%, while the Global South is responsible for 8%.
October 29, 2025 at 1:35 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
Yes, but why do they have a detailed list of categories if anything that is "naked" is deemed explicit sexual? (Never mind what sick minds must be behind that.) If they flagged a painting as "Non-sexual Nudity", fine. But they only ever use the "Adult Content" category, no matter how innocuous.
Screenshot of categories for moderation: Adult Content, Sexually Suggestive, Non-sexual Nudity, Sexually Suggestive (Cartoon)...
October 16, 2025 at 5:49 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
... as they did here, in this feed...
Screenshot where moderation.bsky labelled an artistic nude as "Adult Content", i.e. as explicit sexual image.
October 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
… or a photo of a baby sleeping on the back of their (presumable) father that is certainly not an "explicit sexual image". So is the Moderation team right in hiding all this as "Adult Content", or does this go into the direction of censorship as it makes accounts think twice about what they post?
Photo of a baby sleeping on the (naked) back of its (presumable) father. The baby itself is dressed and there is nothing "explictly sexual" in the photo at all.
October 16, 2025 at 4:20 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
… or a photo of a painting with little detail and in unnatural colours (that would fall in the category "Non-sexual Nudity" that is foreseen for "e.g. artistic nudes") …
A painting of a nude woman by the surrealist painter Margritte; the woman is half blue and the lower half lacks much detail, so nothing sexual and nothing explicit about the painting.
October 16, 2025 at 4:20 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
… I would not expect to find explicit sexual images in my timeline from the accounts I follow, but more recently images in different posts where blocked as "Adult Content". However, when I then checked, they were a photo of a mammography with a clearly medical/technical context…
Photo showing a mammography, where one breast is exposed, but in a clearly medical/technical context. Certainly not an explicit sexual image.
October 16, 2025 at 4:20 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
80% of people want their countries to take stronger #climate action, over half think about #climatechange frequently; humanity is united on wanting to do more. Governments & big businesses hold the most power to halt climate change. They can reshape global systems… (1/2) www.wri.org/insights/cli...
A chart with 19 climate-friendly choices ranked, starting with: Go car-free (most effective by far), fly less, shift to renewable home energy, switch to a EV or hybrid car, go #vegan, etc. all the way to "compost" (which is hardly doing anything).
October 13, 2025 at 1:05 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
High meat consumption presents significant #environment challenges. Interventions to reduce #meat intake, such as #carbon labelling, have shown modest results. However, #labelling the protein content of #plantbased alternatives (that contain more protein) … (1/2) doi.org/10.3389/fsuf... #protein
Figure showing a "Sausage Breakfast Roll" for £2.40 with a red-orange label indicating it contains 17 g of protein, and a "Vegan Sausage Breakfast Roll", also for £2.40 but with a green label showing it contains a full 23 g of protein.
October 2, 2025 at 10:51 AM
ajstein.bsky.social
#COVID booster done. Grateful that I'm living in a country where, at the individual level, people are free to get the #vaccines they need and want to help keep them safe and in good #health. (And that, at the social level, make economic sense as they help prevent #healthcare costs and sick leave.)
Sticker as proof of having gotten a #booster shot of COMIRNATY, the updated #COVID19 mRNA #vaccine.
September 20, 2025 at 1:53 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
The persistence of #famines is attributable to mismanagement of triggers of human vulnerability: Extreme #poverty, violent #conflicts, economic shocks, #climatechange, governmental negligence, famine crimes & #pandemics require a comprehensive development strategy: doi.org/10.1111/joes...
Figure 1: Global risk of death from famine by decade: 1870–2010. The figure shows that since the 1970s the risk of death from famine has decreased considerably, as measured by the ratio of global famine deaths to world population.
August 7, 2025 at 10:36 AM
ajstein.bsky.social
In middle-income economies, the intake of #meat, #dairy, #fish etc. is expected to increase by 6% over the next decade. But even in rich countries it will increase further. On the other hand, in poorer countries it is only half of the 300 kcal threshold of the FAO… (1/2) www.agri-outlook.org #FAO
A graph showing that the intake of animal source foods (meat, fish, dairy, eggs) in high income countries is more than three times the maximum intake recommended by the FAO (300 kcal per day per person), whereas the poorest countries consume less than 150 kcal per day per person. Moreover, even in high income countries the intake of animal source foods increases further between 2024 and 2034.
July 17, 2025 at 9:11 AM
ajstein.bsky.social
Choosing milk? #Plant-based milks generate only one-third or less of the GHG #emissions of cow's #milk, and most use much less #water. Pea milk is a very #sustainable choice that has as much #protein as cow's milk, #soymilk is a close second. #Cow milk is worst: www.wri.org/insights/mil...
Chart: Which Milk Leaves the Lightest Footprint? Showing: Key environmental and nutritional considerations per 1 cup milk (240 mL), namely Average greenhouse gasemissions (g CO2e), Average water use (L), and Average protein content (g) for Cow milk, Soy milk, Oat milk, Almond milk, Pea milk, and Coconut milk. Cow milk is consistently worse for the environment and offering protein on par with pea milk and not much more than soy milk. Almond milk's water use is as bad as cow milk's (depending on where the almonds are grown). All plant milks have much lower GHG emissions than cow milk.
April 2, 2025 at 1:51 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
International attitudes toward #climate policies—what is striking is that in high-income countries (whose populations are most responsible for #climatechange), respondents seem to be much more entitled and not willing to change their behaviors… (1/3) doi.org/10.1257/aer....
Figure: Willingness to adopt climate-friendly behaviors: Have a fuel-efficient or electric vehicle, Limit flying, Limit beef/meat consumption, Limit driving, Limit heating or cooling your home. Factors that would encourage behavior adoption: The well-off also changing their behavior, Having enough financial support, One’s community also changing behaviors, Country adopting ambitious climate policies. Real stakes: Willing to donate to reforestation cause (hypothetical), Willing to sign petition supporting climate action. Answers from respondents from high-income and middle-income countries. Havng a fuel-efficient or electric vehicle is pretty much the only behavior most respondents would be willing to to, and perhaps limiting flying. However, more respondents in middle-income countries indicate they would be willing to adopt climate-friendly behaviors; in high-income countries there is much less willingness to take meaningful action.
April 1, 2025 at 6:10 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
Key drivers of dietary impacts of Swedish #children – for #carbon footprint, #landuse, phosphorus & #nitrogen inputs, blue #water, ammonia #emissions, #pesticide use, #biodiversity loss, #antibiotics use, and #animalwelfare – were red #meat & #dairy products… (1/x) doi.org/10.1016/j.cr...
Bar chart showing the disproportionally large negative footprint of livestock products (meat & dairy) on a range of sustainability indicators.
February 16, 2025 at 7:51 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
#AnimalWelfare: There is a huge disconnect btwn public values & current practice. A large majority of the UK public opposes common animal #farming practices. Governments must enact mandatory #labelling & steadily incentivise better practices by industry… (1/2) bryantresearch.co.uk/insight-item...
A chart showing different, common animal farming practices (keeping chickens in small cages, cutting of their beaks, killing newborn male chicks, keeping pigsin small cages, curring their teeth and tails, removing calves' horns, castrating newborn calves, killing newborn male calves) and how they are opposed by a large majority of the public.
February 13, 2025 at 4:27 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
Animal products have substantially bigger impacts on species’ #extinction risk than staple crops: animals require #grazing or cropland for feed production, which—with their inefficient feed conversion—leads to high #landuse and hence extinction impacts… (1/x) doi.org/10.33774/coe... #biodiversity
A figure showing extinction opportunity cost distribution of different agricultural products - ruminant meat, cocoa, coffee, pig meat, tea & mate, poultry meat, tropical nuts, dairy and eggs are the worst, sugar beet, vegetables, temperate fruit, sugar cane and roots and tubers are the least harmful.
February 13, 2025 at 3:49 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
Almost 30 years ago, in 1996, #genetically engineered #seeds were commercially introduced in the US for key field #crops, with #adoption rates increasing since then. By now, over 90% of US #corn, #cotton & #soybeans are produced using #GMO varieties: www.ers.usda.gov/data-product... #plantbreeding
Graph showing the adoption of genetically engineered crops in the United States, in percent, from 1996 to 2024, showing a quick increase in the first years, until wide-spread adoption was reached by the 2010s, with herbicide soybeans reaching a maximum of 96% in 2024.
January 23, 2025 at 7:52 PM
ajstein.bsky.social
... and it's not even safe to step on the balcony as outdoor #airpollution is thru the roof. Even in a backyard surrounded by houses & no own #fireworks, concentrations of #particulatematter rise to 125 µg/m3 for #PM2.5 (EPA's 24h-level is 35 µg/m3, its annual level is 9 µg/m3) #airquality #health
Graph showing air pollution over 24 hours, from 10 o’clock on 31 December to 10 o’clock on 1 January. Pollution is measured as concentration of fine particles PM 2.5. Concentrations are 1-6 microgram per cubic metre, except for midnight, when they shoot up to 125 microgram per cubic metre before slowly falling again back to baseline by 4 o’clock in the morning. For context, in the US the Environmental Protection Agency set “the level of the primary (health-based) annual PM2.5 standard at 9.0 micrograms per cubic meter to provide increased public health protection, consistent with the available health science”, while it set “the 24-hour PM 2.5 standard at the level of 35 micrograms per cubic meter”: https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-pm
January 1, 2025 at 10:33 AM