Assessment of the carbon footprint of meat and fish procurement in israeli hospital settings: time trends, expenditures and alternative scenarios
1
Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
2
The Department of Environmental, Geoinformatics and Urban Planning Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
3
Nutrition Department, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
4
Nutrition Division, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A307
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Climate change poses a major threat to global health, underscoring the need for mitigation efforts, including sustainable practices within the healthcare sector. Food procurement in healthcare institutions contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with red meat being a major driver. This study aimed to evaluate the carbon footprint of meat and fish procurement in Israeli hospitals and to assess the effects of alternative procurement scenarios on GHG emissions and food expenditures.
METHODS:
This simulation study examined meat and fish procurement in 13 Clalit hospitals, Israel’s largest healthcare provider, using procurement data from 2019 to 2023. GHG emissions from meat and fish procurement, covering stages from cradle to farm gate, were calculated using Israeli emission coefficients where available. Expenditures, procurement quantities, and related GHG emissions were normalized by the average number of hospital beds. Distributions by food category, temporal trends, and inter-hospital comparisons were analyzed. Alternative procurement scenarios were modeled to reduce beef consumption and replace it with healthier, more sustainable options, including poultry, fish, and plant-based proteins, accounting for portion-size adjustments, post-cooking weight changes, and equivalent protein content.
RESULTS:
Meat and fish accounted for 25% of total food expenditures in Clalit hospitals, whereas legumes comprised less than 1%. Beef was responsible for 71% of total GHG emissions despite representing less than 20% of the total quantity procured. Substantial variability in expenditures, GHG emissions, and carbon intensity was observed across hospitals. Scenario analyses showed that replacing beef with poultry and fish reduced GHG emissions, while greater inclusion of plant-based proteins achieved further reductions in emissions alongside cost savings.
CONCLUSIONS:
Beef procurement is the dominant contributor to food-related GHG emissions in major Israeli hospitals. Gradual substitution of beef with plant-based proteins offers a feasible strategy to reduce hospitals’ carbon footprints, lower food costs, and promote healthier diets for patients and staff.
Climate change poses a major threat to global health, underscoring the need for mitigation efforts, including sustainable practices within the healthcare sector. Food procurement in healthcare institutions contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with red meat being a major driver. This study aimed to evaluate the carbon footprint of meat and fish procurement in Israeli hospitals and to assess the effects of alternative procurement scenarios on GHG emissions and food expenditures.
METHODS:
This simulation study examined meat and fish procurement in 13 Clalit hospitals, Israel’s largest healthcare provider, using procurement data from 2019 to 2023. GHG emissions from meat and fish procurement, covering stages from cradle to farm gate, were calculated using Israeli emission coefficients where available. Expenditures, procurement quantities, and related GHG emissions were normalized by the average number of hospital beds. Distributions by food category, temporal trends, and inter-hospital comparisons were analyzed. Alternative procurement scenarios were modeled to reduce beef consumption and replace it with healthier, more sustainable options, including poultry, fish, and plant-based proteins, accounting for portion-size adjustments, post-cooking weight changes, and equivalent protein content.
RESULTS:
Meat and fish accounted for 25% of total food expenditures in Clalit hospitals, whereas legumes comprised less than 1%. Beef was responsible for 71% of total GHG emissions despite representing less than 20% of the total quantity procured. Substantial variability in expenditures, GHG emissions, and carbon intensity was observed across hospitals. Scenario analyses showed that replacing beef with poultry and fish reduced GHG emissions, while greater inclusion of plant-based proteins achieved further reductions in emissions alongside cost savings.
CONCLUSIONS:
Beef procurement is the dominant contributor to food-related GHG emissions in major Israeli hospitals. Gradual substitution of beef with plant-based proteins offers a feasible strategy to reduce hospitals’ carbon footprints, lower food costs, and promote healthier diets for patients and staff.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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