Open AccessPhoton to plate: A holistic view of photosynthetic and anthropogenic energy fluxes
Author(s) -
Roney Heather E.,
Walker Berkley J.
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
food and energy security
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 25
ISSN - 2048-3694
DOI - 10.1002/fes3.348
Subject(s) - photosynthesis , fossil fuel , environmental science , population , agriculture , photosynthetic efficiency , sustainability , biology , botany , ecology , demography , sociology
Modern agriculture couples photosynthetic energy with human‐applied energy supplements (e.g., fertilizers, labor, cultivation) to feed a growing population. These energy supplements usually come from fossil fuels, presenting an opportunity to decrease fossil fuel required per calorie by improving photosynthetic efficiency. To quantify how improving photosynthetic efficiency would decrease the supplemental energy needed per calorie, we present a “photon to plate” life cycle analysis of energy flows (photosynthetic and human‐applied) needed to produce fresh‐cut fries. Our results show that photosynthetic inefficiencies require ~80 times the energy used to cultivate, harvest, transport and prepare fries for consumption and that improvements to photosynthesis could reduce the energy applied by humans per calorie by almost 40%. This study highlights the magnitude of energy used during photosynthesis and the potential for photosynthetic improvements to increase agricultural sustainability.