Transition of Food Consumption Patterns and Carbon Footprint of Urban and Rural Residents in China

The food system is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions，and the carbon footprint analysis of food consumption under the dual carbon background is of great significance for the sustainable development of the food system. To reveal the differences in food consumption patterns and carbon footprints between urban and rural residents in China，the life cycle carbon emission coefficient method was used to measure the direct carbon emissions of food consumption by urban and rural residents in China from 2000 to 2021. From the perspective of carbon footprint composition，the following main conclusions were drawn：① The structure of food consumption among residents in China shifted from predominantly plant-based to a balanced consumption of both plant- and animal-based foods，reducing the disparity in various food consumption quantities between urban and rural residents. ② The per capita carbon footprint from food consumption among Chinese residents exhibited an overall increasing trend from 2000 to 2021，with an average annual growth rate of 1.4%. Grain consumption contributed the most to the carbon footprint（22.2%）. ③ Currently，urban residents in China demonstrate significantly higher food consumption carbon footprints compared to those of rural residents，and this trend is continuously rising. In urban areas，the carbon footprint of plant-based foods was increasing at a higher rate than that of animal-based foods，while the opposite trend was observed in rural areas. ④ Factors such as per capita disposable income，per capita GDP，Engel coefficient，population structure，and various food consumption carbon footprints，as well as per capita food consumption carbon footprints，exhibited significant correlations. Here，we conducted a comprehensive study on the eating habits of urban and rural residents in China，along with the carbon emissions associated with their food consumption，which offer valuable insights that can guide sustainable food consumption practices among Chinese residents and contribute to the achievement of carbon neutrality in the food industry. © 2025 Science Press. All rights reserved.