2nd MML workshop - “Separating local external effects of agricultural production from national average estimations: illustration for the impact of fine particulate on health”.

This MML counted with 24 participants and started with a brief project overview about “How FOODCoST can support the sustainability of the food system”, where the project coordinator, Willy Baltussen, from Wageningen Economic Research (WUR), demonstrated how the FOODCoST project will be co-created in synergy with key actors from farming and food systems, following a multi-actor approach.

This workshop was held online with the help of the platform MIRO Board, which ensured a dynamic and interactive environment to enhance the co-creation of solutions and sharing of knowledge, following the methodology from the first MML workshop.

In this session, Michiel van Galen and Wil Hennen, from WUR, presented the main topic of the workshop, beginning with a short introduction of the concept of “True Cost Accounting”, that is described as a way of calculating all relevant costs and benefits, including those that are external, and “The impact of fine particulate matter on health”.

At the end of the presentation, the findings of the FOODCoST project were reported among the participants, who were able to discuss further about localised effects of fine particulate emissions and other forms of the disaggregation in TCA that are currently not available or not well developed.  Lastly, the participants were inquired regarding ways in which the FOODCoST project can work further on localising the estimations of external costs, which are often calculated on the basis of national average data.