MODELS OF ENERGY ANALYSIS TO ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE OF FOOD SYSTEMS

This paper illustrates with numerical examples how models of energy an alysis can enlarge the perspective to describe the performance of food systems. Energy analysis can provide an integrated assessment of cost s and benefits either: (i) direct, that is the energy expenditure refe rring to food system related activities compared to the level of food security achieved; or (ii) indirect, that is, the impact of food syste m activities on the economic efficiency of society and on the ecologic al efficiency of natural processes in stabilizing the environment. Fin ally, it is shown that energy analysis can be used to discuss the chan ging role of the food system in the process of societal development.