Going local? Environmental impacts of nutrient cycling in food systems at different scales - The Netherlands as a case study

Achieving a sustainable food future requires restoring nutrient cycles and minimizing losses in more circular food systems. The scale at which nutrient loops can be restored and the resulting environmental outcomes depend strongly on local conditions. This thesis evaluates the environmental impacts of restoring nutrient loops at different spatial scales. It first explores why current food systems are not circular and how local context shapes opportunities for nutrient circularity. It then assesses how circular food systems in the Netherlands with varying levels of local food sourcing within provinces affect land use, nitrogen losses and greenhouse-gas emissions. Results show that circular food systems substantially reduce land use, nitrogen inputs and losses, and greenhouse-gas emissions. Local production conditions in conjunction with scale were a strong driver of environmental impacts. In parts of the Netherlands local food sourcing aligned well with local environmental targets, while in other parts this was not the case.