Alexander J. Stein
@ajstein.bsky.social
Agricultural economist interested in food, nutrition, health, sustainability. PhD. EU. Private account. Posts + Likes ≠ endorsements. Blocking trolls, unsupported claims etc. More infos at www.AJStein.de
Pinned
Alexander J. Stein
@ajstein.bsky.social
· Nov 27
Personal update: After some reflection, I decided to share that I have #cholangiocarcinoma, a rare & aggressive #cancer. This has little to do with the focus of my posts here, but I hope that it can help raise #awareness of this serious #illness. More details at: AJStein.de/cholangio.htm
#Review of the micronutrient content in conventional & #organic food: Factors like soil fertility, fertilizer use & climate conditions affect #micronutrients content as much or more as #farming methods. There is no consistent #nutrition advantage linked to organic production: doi.org/10.3390/nu18...
doi.org
December 30, 2025 at 10:04 AM
#Review of the micronutrient content in conventional & #organic food: Factors like soil fertility, fertilizer use & climate conditions affect #micronutrients content as much or more as #farming methods. There is no consistent #nutrition advantage linked to organic production: doi.org/10.3390/nu18...
#Brazil: In some food groups, such as olives, seasoning blends, #sausages & frankfurters, nearly all products require a warning #label for high sodium content. Notably, a lot of #cheese exceeds limits for #salt, but is exempt from warning labels under current rules… (1/2) doi.org/10.1016/j.fo...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 29, 2025 at 6:03 PM
In the developed world, #meat is currently the default option in restaurants & #catering. Yet, vegetarian & #vegan options as the default can nudge consumption without being too controversial, as customers are still free to eat meat: morethanmeatstheeye.substack.com/p/plant-base... #plantbased
Want People to Eat More Plants? Make Them the Default.
Making vegan foods the default option consistently boosts sales without significant backlash. Here's the evidence why it's so effective.
morethanmeatstheeye.substack.com
December 26, 2025 at 1:53 PM
In the developed world, #meat is currently the default option in restaurants & #catering. Yet, vegetarian & #vegan options as the default can nudge consumption without being too controversial, as customers are still free to eat meat: morethanmeatstheeye.substack.com/p/plant-base... #plantbased
Small sample: US #consumers with high meat attachment don't care if meat has negative #nutrition labels or if #plantbased alternatives have positive #sustainability labels, they go for the meat. Consumers with low #meat attachment are influenced by the #labeling, though: doi.org/10.1016/j.nu...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 26, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Small sample: US #consumers with high meat attachment don't care if meat has negative #nutrition labels or if #plantbased alternatives have positive #sustainability labels, they go for the meat. Consumers with low #meat attachment are influenced by the #labeling, though: doi.org/10.1016/j.nu...
A well-balanced #plantbased diet is linked to lower #health risks. Motivations for following vegan #diets among respondents in #Germany were ethical, health & ecological reasons, driven by documentaries & the influence of other people. More #vegan respondents reported… (1/2) doi.org/10.1186/s128...
Comparing diet-related attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors of vegan and omnivorous adults: results from a cross-sectional survey study in Germany - BMC Public Health
Background As a well-balanced vegan diet is associated with reduced diet-related health risks, it is in the interest of local authorities to develop appropriate public health interventions to promote ...
doi.org
December 25, 2025 at 5:12 PM
A well-balanced #plantbased diet is linked to lower #health risks. Motivations for following vegan #diets among respondents in #Germany were ethical, health & ecological reasons, driven by documentaries & the influence of other people. More #vegan respondents reported… (1/2) doi.org/10.1186/s128...
Plant-based #diets hold a key role in mitigating #climatechange. Public institutions share responsibility for leading #mitigation efforts: A shift to #plantbased diets can significantly reduce GHG #emissions due to the size of #publicprocurement & their influence on people: doi.org/10.1080/1469...
Should public institutions adopt plant-based diets? Climate duties and shared leadership
Many public institutions across Europe and North America, such as schools, hospitals, and universities, are considering plant-based catering policies to reduce their carbon footprint. This raises s...
doi.org
December 25, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Plant-based #diets hold a key role in mitigating #climatechange. Public institutions share responsibility for leading #mitigation efforts: A shift to #plantbased diets can significantly reduce GHG #emissions due to the size of #publicprocurement & their influence on people: doi.org/10.1080/1469...
#PlantBased dietary orientation was found to be linked strongly to favorable body composition (lower #BMI & fat mass). Apart from #health outcomes, plant-based profiles also reflected more #sustainable diets, supporting alignment btwn health & environmental goals: doi.org/10.1007/s441... #diets
Plant-based dietary orientation and body composition: a cross-sectional study - Discover Food
Background The growing need for a sustainable and personalised diet requires new tools to evaluate plant-based dietary orientation. Methods We developed a composite dietary score combining food prefer...
doi.org
December 25, 2025 at 2:55 PM
#PlantBased dietary orientation was found to be linked strongly to favorable body composition (lower #BMI & fat mass). Apart from #health outcomes, plant-based profiles also reflected more #sustainable diets, supporting alignment btwn health & environmental goals: doi.org/10.1007/s441... #diets
European farm #incomes broke a new record high in 2025—also in real terms. The average 4% growth rate in real terms is higher than the real growth of #earnings in the nonfarm sector, and has contributed to closing further the farm-nonfarm income gap: capreform.eu/2025-was-a-r... #farmers #income
2025 was a record year for farm income, though not for all
As the tractors arrived in Brussels yesterday, it is important to keep a sense of perspective. European farm incomes broke a new record high in 2025 – also in real terms – although not all farmers par...
capreform.eu
December 25, 2025 at 2:45 PM
European farm #incomes broke a new record high in 2025—also in real terms. The average 4% growth rate in real terms is higher than the real growth of #earnings in the nonfarm sector, and has contributed to closing further the farm-nonfarm income gap: capreform.eu/2025-was-a-r... #farmers #income
In current classifications of #foodinsecurity, about 1 in 5 acutely hungry people are missed. Contrary to widely held assumptions, underlying analyses are conservative; the prevalence & severity of acute #hunger is probably considerably higher than global estimates indicate: doi.org/10.1038/s430...
Official estimates of global food insecurity undercount acute hunger - Nature Food
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system is the global method for classifying food insecurity severity and allocating humanitarian aid. An evaluation of 10,000 Integrated Food Security...
doi.org
December 25, 2025 at 2:44 PM
In current classifications of #foodinsecurity, about 1 in 5 acutely hungry people are missed. Contrary to widely held assumptions, underlying analyses are conservative; the prevalence & severity of acute #hunger is probably considerably higher than global estimates indicate: doi.org/10.1038/s430...
A clear, conceptual & methodological distinction btwn #PlanetaryBoundaries and food system budgets + providing detail on the scope of #foodsystems = strengthening of scientific #analysis and the utility of food system #sustainability research for decision-makers: doi.org/10.1038/s430... #research
Food systems boundaries are currently poorly defined - Nature Food
Nature Food - Food systems boundaries are currently poorly defined
doi.org
December 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
A clear, conceptual & methodological distinction btwn #PlanetaryBoundaries and food system budgets + providing detail on the scope of #foodsystems = strengthening of scientific #analysis and the utility of food system #sustainability research for decision-makers: doi.org/10.1038/s430... #research
Antibiotics are a bedrock of modern #medicine, used to treat common #infections and a major reason why these are generally no longer so dangerous in the modern world. But in the US & around the globe, most #antibiotics aren’t used in human medicine. Instead… (1/3) www.vox.com/future-perfe... #AMR
The meat industry is sabotaging one of modern medicine’s greatest miracles
The US was making progress on its antibiotics-in-meat problem. Now it’s backsliding.
www.vox.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Antibiotics are a bedrock of modern #medicine, used to treat common #infections and a major reason why these are generally no longer so dangerous in the modern world. But in the US & around the globe, most #antibiotics aren’t used in human medicine. Instead… (1/3) www.vox.com/future-perfe... #AMR
#Influenza sweeps across Europe with a new dominant #virus strain, placing #health systems under pressure. The public should take simple steps to keep themselves & others safe: Get #vaccinated, stay home if unwell, wear a #mask to protect others: news.cision.com/who-regional... #flu #vaccine
More than half of the WHO European Region experiencing intense, early influenza season driven by new strain
Copenhagen, 17 December 2025
Influenza is sweeping across the European Region earlier than
news.cision.com
December 20, 2025 at 4:27 PM
#Influenza sweeps across Europe with a new dominant #virus strain, placing #health systems under pressure. The public should take simple steps to keep themselves & others safe: Get #vaccinated, stay home if unwell, wear a #mask to protect others: news.cision.com/who-regional... #flu #vaccine
The annual #carbon footprint of #beef recipes promoted by top US food outlets adds more #CO2 than the entire country of Belgium emits in a year. #Media influence what people eat. By promoting beef-intensive #recipes they contribute to #climate destruction: biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
Report: Popular U.S. Recipe Outlets Helping to Cook Earth’s Climate
Center for Biological Diversity: Top 10 Outlets Push Enough Beef in One Month to Match Pollution of Nearly 3 Million Cars
biologicaldiversity.org
December 20, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Studies on "ultra-processed" food are unreliable as food categorized as less processed (NOVA 1) and food categorised as #ultraprocessed (NOVA 4) covers different foods. Unprocessed red #meat (NOVA 1) can be compared with commercial #wholegrain bread (NOVA 4), which is… (1/2) doi.org/10.1016/j.la...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 18, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Studies on "ultra-processed" food are unreliable as food categorized as less processed (NOVA 1) and food categorised as #ultraprocessed (NOVA 4) covers different foods. Unprocessed red #meat (NOVA 1) can be compared with commercial #wholegrain bread (NOVA 4), which is… (1/2) doi.org/10.1016/j.la...
Efforts needed for performance-based eco- #labeling, such as reducing carbon #emissions, yield substantially more market benefits than complying with simple information disclosure #labels. Environmental policies that combine both can promote #climate action & competitiveness: doi.org/10.1016/j.jc...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 18, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Efforts needed for performance-based eco- #labeling, such as reducing carbon #emissions, yield substantially more market benefits than complying with simple information disclosure #labels. Environmental policies that combine both can promote #climate action & competitiveness: doi.org/10.1016/j.jc...
Higher adherence to #plantbased diets can be linked to lower liver cancer risk and a reduced likelihood of diabetes, and it may help promote healthy aging: doi.org/10.1016/j.aj...
+ doi.org/10.1186/s128...
+ doi.org/10.1038/s415...
#cancer #livercancer #diabetes #aging #diets #nutrition #health
+ doi.org/10.1186/s128...
+ doi.org/10.1038/s415...
#cancer #livercancer #diabetes #aging #diets #nutrition #health
Redirecting
doi.org
December 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Higher adherence to #plantbased diets can be linked to lower liver cancer risk and a reduced likelihood of diabetes, and it may help promote healthy aging: doi.org/10.1016/j.aj...
+ doi.org/10.1186/s128...
+ doi.org/10.1038/s415...
#cancer #livercancer #diabetes #aging #diets #nutrition #health
+ doi.org/10.1186/s128...
+ doi.org/10.1038/s415...
#cancer #livercancer #diabetes #aging #diets #nutrition #health
Post-harvest handling affects #micronutrients retention in #biofortified crops. Provitamin A crops maintain high amounts. Iron & #zinc crops have more variability, but whole #grain product consumption (whole #wheat flour, slightly milled brown #rice) is beneficial: doi.org/10.1038/s430... #nutrition
A systematic review of the impacts of post-harvest handling on provitamin A, iron and zinc retention in seven biofortified crops - Nature Food
Storage and processing can impact micronutrient levels of biofortified foods at the point of consumption. A systematic review and online dashboard present data on how processing methods affect micronu...
doi.org
December 14, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Post-harvest handling affects #micronutrients retention in #biofortified crops. Provitamin A crops maintain high amounts. Iron & #zinc crops have more variability, but whole #grain product consumption (whole #wheat flour, slightly milled brown #rice) is beneficial: doi.org/10.1038/s430... #nutrition
Individuals may follow a #vegetarian diet during periods of unemployment as a cost-saving strategy, i.e. policies designed to lower the #prices of healthy food products could influence dietary behaviours and make it more likely to adopt #plantbased diets… (1/3) doi.org/10.1057/s415...
Food expenditure and vegetarianism: the mediating role of employment status in more sustainable and economical food choices in Spain - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications - Food expenditure and vegetarianism: the mediating role of employment status in more sustainable and economical food choices in Spain
doi.org
December 13, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Individuals may follow a #vegetarian diet during periods of unemployment as a cost-saving strategy, i.e. policies designed to lower the #prices of healthy food products could influence dietary behaviours and make it more likely to adopt #plantbased diets… (1/3) doi.org/10.1057/s415...
The need for healthy #diets from sustainable food systems links to challenges like #climatechange, #biodiversity loss & #obesity. Governance for sustainable #foodsystems is centred on the idea of #nudges. Yet, as product #price is often the primary driver for consumers… (1/2) doi.org/10.1016/j.je...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 13, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The need for healthy #diets from sustainable food systems links to challenges like #climatechange, #biodiversity loss & #obesity. Governance for sustainable #foodsystems is centred on the idea of #nudges. Yet, as product #price is often the primary driver for consumers… (1/2) doi.org/10.1016/j.je...
New genomic techniques can help develop better crop varieties faster & with specific features (e.g. greater resilience to #climatechange, lower use of #fertilisers & #pesticides), and in a way that can also occur in nature… (1/2) www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...
New genomic techniques: Council and Parliament strike deal to boost the competitiveness and sustainability of our food systems
Council and Parliament reach provisional deal on a set of rules for new genomic techniques, aiming to improve the competitiveness of European agriculture and support the sustainability of our food sys...
www.consilium.europa.eu
December 13, 2025 at 5:55 PM
New genomic techniques can help develop better crop varieties faster & with specific features (e.g. greater resilience to #climatechange, lower use of #fertilisers & #pesticides), and in a way that can also occur in nature… (1/2) www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...
Consuming a higher proportion of plant #protein in the diet does not increase the risk of gait speed decline [= link to #muscle mass & strength], but may offer a viable & more #sustainable dietary pattern for older adults: doi.org/10.1016/j.tj... #Netherlands #plantbased #diets #nutrition #health
Redirecting
doi.org
December 13, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Consuming a higher proportion of plant #protein in the diet does not increase the risk of gait speed decline [= link to #muscle mass & strength], but may offer a viable & more #sustainable dietary pattern for older adults: doi.org/10.1016/j.tj... #Netherlands #plantbased #diets #nutrition #health
German far-right parties pretend to defend “ordinary people” against environmental “hysteria,” but their rhetoric on food, purity & #health reveals deep links to #fascist thought. Concerns about pesticides, synthetic #meat, insect-based foods & halal/kosher practices… (1/3) doi.org/10.34632/dif...
Food and ethics: How German far-right defend their dietary ideology in times of climate change
| Diffractions
Este portal disponibiliza revistas científicas publicadas pelos Centros de Investigação e Unidades de Ensino da Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Tem como objetivo aumentar a visibilidade e alcance da...
doi.org
December 13, 2025 at 5:07 PM
German far-right parties pretend to defend “ordinary people” against environmental “hysteria,” but their rhetoric on food, purity & #health reveals deep links to #fascist thought. Concerns about pesticides, synthetic #meat, insect-based foods & halal/kosher practices… (1/3) doi.org/10.34632/dif...
#Legumes, nuts & seeds (the blue boxes) are rich in #protein and provide as much #nutrition as the—more expensive—animal-source foods like #beef, #tuna, #milk, #pork, #sardines or #chicken (the red boxes), as shown in the top row of the Figure below, but… (1/3) doi.org/10.1038/s430... #meat #dairy
December 13, 2025 at 4:21 PM
It costs little to build an army of fake #socialmedia accounts for online #manipulation, which can be used for everything from boosting a lie to running a financial #fraud (e.g. $100 can buy over 4300 verifications for X/Twitter accounts): doi.org/10.1126/scie... #fakenews #Twitter
December 13, 2025 at 2:27 PM
It costs little to build an army of fake #socialmedia accounts for online #manipulation, which can be used for everything from boosting a lie to running a financial #fraud (e.g. $100 can buy over 4300 verifications for X/Twitter accounts): doi.org/10.1126/scie... #fakenews #Twitter
International #transportation contributes only little to embodied #emissions from food consumption; food production is the key driver. Imported "side dishes" [= everything but staple grains, especially #meat, fish & #dairy] contribute most to total emissions: doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-... #trade #Taiwan
Quantifying embodied greenhouse gas emissions in food consumption: a multi-spatial scale analysis using Taiwan as a case study
Purpose. Achieving the ambitious net-zero emissions targets outlined in the Paris Agreement is unlikely without substantial and innovative reforms within the food sector. Identifying key emission sour...
doi.org
December 13, 2025 at 9:26 AM
International #transportation contributes only little to embodied #emissions from food consumption; food production is the key driver. Imported "side dishes" [= everything but staple grains, especially #meat, fish & #dairy] contribute most to total emissions: doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-... #trade #Taiwan