Abstract ID: 3.12493 | Accepted as Talk | Requested as: Talk | TBA | TBA

The European Alps food system is deeply interconnected with global supply chains, relying on feed and fertilizer imports to maintain current agricultural practices. This reliance complicates the evaluation of the true potential for food self-sufficiency and the carrying capacity of the Alpine region. This study explores how regional food production, dietary shifts, and more sustainable farming practices could improve food system resilience in the European Alpine Space. Our findings show that 59% of the total available food energy in the region comes from domestic production and nearly the same percentage of the total is used for livestock feed, leading to high land footprints of up to 0.3 hectares per capita per year. Modeling scenarios indicate that, without expanding agricultural land, the region could produce 89% of its current food demand, though this varies regionally due to population density, land availability, and dietary habits. Transitioning to healthy diets, based on national Food-Based Dietary Guidelines, could significantly improve food self-sufficiency, reduce the land footprint by over 45%, and lower GHG emissions, eutrophication, and freshwater withdrawals. While food waste may increase due to higher fruit and vegetable consumption, its land footprint would be smaller, and it could serve as a valuable resource for agriculture. These results demonstrate that dietary shifts, regional food policies, and sustainable land use planning could significantly contribute to achieving the EU Green Deal and Climate Law targets, supporting a more resilient and environmentally sustainable Alpine food system.