Journal article
The increasing global environmental consequences of a weakening US China crop trade relationship
Nature food, Vol.2(8), pp.578-586
08/12/2021
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/120914
Appears in Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT)
Abstract
The consideration of tariffs on China’s imports of US agricultural products has focused on economic impacts, while the environmental consequences have received less attention. Here we use a global computable general equilibrium model to evaluate long-term crop portfolio changes induced by China’s retaliatory agricultural tariffs and thereby assess the environmental stresses imposed by different crop production portfolios based on region-specific and crop-specific databases. We show that China’s tariffs cause unintended increases in nitrogen and phosphorus pollution and blue water extraction in the United States as farmers shift from soybeans to more pollution-causing crops. If diverted to Brazil, China’s soybean demands would reduce Brazilian stresses of nitrogen pollution and water use through crop portfolio changes, but may add additional pressures on phosphorus pollution and deforestation. On a global scale, trade policies could help to reduce nutrient pollution and water source depletion by promoting crop production where it is most efficient in terms of nutrient and water use.
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Details
- Title
- The increasing global environmental consequences of a weakening US China crop trade relationship
- Creators
- Yao GuolinZhang XinDavidson Eric A.Taheripour Farzad
- Publication Details
- Nature food, Vol.2(8), pp.578-586
- Academic Unit
- Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT); Alternative Jet Fuel
- Grants
- 13-C-AFJE-PU-029, Federal Aviation Administration (United States, Washington) - FAA
- Identifiers
- 99900620466101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article