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True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG

@truecostaccounting.bsky.social

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TMG Think Tank for Sustainability facilitates effective policy & economic incentives for sustainable food systems transformation via True Cost Accounting. https://www.tmg-thinktank.com/programmes/true-cost-accounting

www.tmg-thinktank.com

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True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 18

🤔🍝What is the true cost of my dinner?
This third True Cost Accounting (TCA) explainer video, created as part of the PLAN'EAT project, breaks down the true cost of spaghetti bolognese using TCA.

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True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 7

🤝Because, in the end, everyone will benefit from a more #sustainable #FoodSystem

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 7

💡𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘁. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁, 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀.

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 7

The #HiddenCosts of current #diets are estimated to be $10 trillion globally, with the largest proportion of these costs in Europe & North America being health costs—particularly due to excess consumption of red and processed meat: www.fao.org/agrifood-eco... - pp. 4, 12 (fig. 6), 14 (fig. 8b)

www.fao.org

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 7

And we all pay for these impacts via, for example, higher health insurance premiums and higher food costs driven by #globalwarming: www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Global warming and heat extremes to enhance inflationary pressures - Communications Earth & Environment

Future global warming and intensifying heat extremes will have strong, non-linear and persistent upward impacts on inflation across the world, according to an analysis that combines physical projectio...

www.nature.com

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 7

Not only does meat (particularly red meat 🥩) have high environmental impacts (inc GHG emissions, pollution, land & water use), excess consumption also has negative #health impacts—increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 7

This comes as no surprise, as concern about #climatechange and #environmental impacts are also generally divided along generational lines.

But the truth is harder to swallow: 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁.

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 7

💶🥩𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘁—𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁.

A new study finds that willingness to pay more for meat—in order to take the high environmental costs into account—is highest among #GenZ and lowest among #Boomers:
www.iwkoeln.de/studien/adri...
👇🧵

www.iwkoeln.de

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True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 1

This is an important challenge for the TCA community:

How can we gain trust and support from groups where change might be most impactful?

What’s the most effective way you’ve seen for communicating TCA? Did it appeal to different kinds of audiences? Let us know in the comments 👇

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 1

Likewise, people who reported caring about health and environmental issues were also more open to TCA.

💡So it’s clear that a person’s worldview and existing habits can shape their attitude toward sustainability measures like TCA.

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 1

A new study looking at consumer attitudes to TCA found that participants following a flexitarian/veggie/vegan diet (i.e. one with likely lower true costs) had more positive attitudes toward TCA than people who eat meat regularly (i.e. a diet with likely higher true costs).
doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...

Redirecting

doi.org

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Aug 1

🥗True Cost Accounting is more appealing to those already eating a more healthy and sustainable diet—so how can we convince those who would benefit most?

A new study looks at consumer attitudes to TCA and the findings underline an important challenge. Read on to find out 🧵👇

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True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 24

Read the report here: www.tmg-thinktank.com/publications...

And share this post (or the report!) with someone who needs to read it 📖

#TrueCostAccounting #FoodPolicy #SustainableFoodSystems #FoodSystemsTransformation #LivingLabs

TMG Think Tank for Sustainability

A Berlin-based organization working on sustainability transformations in the areas of food systems, land governance, nature-based solutions and urban foodscapes -

www.tmg-thinktank.com

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 24

Finally, It provides guiding principles to achieve healthy and sustainable diets across three levels—food systems (macro), food environments (meso), and individuals (micro)—as well as recommendations for consumers and food professionals.🥗

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 24

It also gives an overview of the social and socio-economic impacts of European food systems, with an analysis of the animal welfare impact of diets in the PLAN'EAT Living Labs countries 🐄

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 24

The report includes case studies of various European diets, comparing their environmental and health impacts to the Eat-Lancet Planetary Health Diet & the Mediterranean Diet 🌍🏥

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 24

Our latest publication for the PLAN'EAT project is now online!

“Food Impact Map: Synthesis report on food impact pathways” summarizes some health, environmental, & social sustainability challenges associated with European diets and provides recommendations for healthier & more sustainable diets. 🧵👇

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True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 23

Download the Policy Brief here to see the full TCA-based recommendations: www.tmg-thinktank.com/publications...

Or share this post with someone who needs to see it.
#TrueCostAccounting #FoodPolicy #PolicyBrief #SustainableFoodSystems #FoodSystemsTransformation

TMG Think Tank for Sustainability

A Berlin-based organization working on sustainability transformations in the areas of food systems, land governance, nature-based solutions and urban foodscapes -

www.tmg-thinktank.com

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 23

⚖️BUT: TCA analysis is done per kg of food & the relative hidden costs change when we take recommended weekly servings into account: e.g. roughly 10g of coffee or 3g of tea, but 100g of meat, 300g of veg, or 50g of grains. You can see the differences on the graphs on the fourth slide.

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 23

🥗Meanwhile, plant-based foods generally have lower hidden costs. Fruits, vegetables and grains each generate around €1 of hidden costs per kilogram, although cacao, coffee and almonds have higher hidden costs of €4–5 per kilogram.

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True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 23

🥩Red meat is the biggest culprit, with €14 of hidden costs for every kg of meat. This is because it is a major driver of both GHG emissions & diet-related diseases.

🧀Cheese is also relatively high-imapct, generating €5 of hidden costs per kg, also largely due to environmental & health impacts.

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 23

🤔What are “high-impact foods”?

According to TCA analysis, high-impact foods are those that generate large hidden costs due to their environmental, social and/or health impacts.

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 23

📢Our latest publication with
@nordregio.bsky.social for the PLAN'EAT project has just gone online!

Based on True Cost Accounting (TCA) analysis of high-impact foods, this policy brief gives recommendations for effective measures to support the transition towards sustainable and healthy diets.

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True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 18

By revealing the hidden costs of our food, TCA enables policymakers, businesses, and consumers to make more healthy and sustainable choices.
#TrueCostAccounting #SustainableFoodSystems #FoodPolicy #TCA #FoodSystemsTransformation

True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 18

Hidden costs from meat & dairy production are €22 billion per year in Germany alone!

One way to reduce hidden costs is to replace animal products with plant-based options.

Swapping beef mince for a soy alternative reduces the hidden costs of spag bol from €1.09 to €0.41, which is a 62% decrease!

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True Cost Accounting for Food Systems Transformation @ TMG @truecostaccounting.bsky.social · Jul 18

Food with the highest hidden costs is meat (esp. red meat!) & dairy, because of:
💨 Relatively high GHG emissions (>50% of emissions in Europe!)
🌾 High cropland use & new nitrogen input for feed production
💩95% of Europe’s ammonia emissions come from livestock manure