Ellen Cecilie Wright

• Rockström, Johan; Thilsted, Shakuntala Haraksingh; Willett, Walter C.; Gordon, Line J.; Herrero, Mario & Hicks, Christina C. [Show all 70 contributors for this article] (2025). The EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems. The Lancet. ISSN 0140-6736. 406(10512), p. 1625–1700. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01201-2. Full text in Research Archive
• Carlsen, Monica Hauger; Bjøntegaard, Marie Michaelsen; Oort, Bob van; Jafarzadeh, Sepideh; Mehta, Shraddha & Wright, Ellen Cecilie [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Environmental impact of Norwegian food and beverages: compilation of a life cycle assessment food database. Food & Nutrition Research (FNR). ISSN 1654-6628. 69, p. 10645–10645. doi: 10.29219/fnr.v69.10645. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Food production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. Climate and environmental impacts from food production vary across geographical areas. To estimate these impacts of food and diets, country-specific data are needed. Objective: This project aimed to compile an environmental impact food database, including the impact categories (ICs) global warming potential, soil acidification, freshwater and saltwater eutrophication, water use and land use, representative of the Norwegian diet. Design: The compilation was based on literature searches for original life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on foods, including domestic and imported foods, which constitute the habitual diet in Norway. Food items of importance in the average Norwegian diet were identified based on the national dietary survey Norkost 3. The study’s generic system boundaries included impacts from farm to fork: production, processing, packaging, transportation, storage and food preparation at home. Conversion factors for edible portions were applied when relevant. When LCA data of a certain food were missing, data from foods with similar cultivation conditions and nutritional composition were used as proxies. Data from other LCA food databases were also used if original LCA studies were not identified, or the LCA studies found were evaluated as being of poor quality. Results: The compiled database is tailored specifically for and covers main animal- and plant-based foods in the Norwegian diet. Discussion: Limitations of the compilation project include the fact that most LCA studies identified in the present project covered ICs up to the farm gate and used varying methodology. Also, proxy values were used when data for specific food items were missing. These methodological issues introduce variability and complicate direct comparisons. The strength of the present study is the thorough work in compiling and filling data gaps for the IC values of foods in the Norwegian diet. Conclusions: The Norwegian LCA food database enables simultaneous estimation of food and nutrient intakes and estimation of climate and environmental impacts of Norwegian diets.

• Wright, Ellen Cecilie; Oort, Bob van; Bjøntegaard, Marie Michaelsen; Carlsen, Monica Hauger & Andersen, Lene Frost (2023). Environmental and nutritional assessment of young children’s diets in Norway: comparing the current diet with national dietary guidelines and the EAT-Lancet reference diet. European Journal of Nutrition. ISSN 1436-6207. 62, p. 3383–3396. doi: 10.1007/s00394-023-03243-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose Introducing healthy and sustainable diets early in life can promote lifelong healthy dietary patterns with a low environmental impact. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the environmental and nutritional consequences of a dietary change for 2-year-old children in Norway towards healthier dietary patterns. Methods Environmental impacts of the current habitual diet among 2-year-olds (n = 1413) were estimated for six impact categories and compared with scenario diets based on the Norwegian food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and the EAT-Lancet Commission reference diet. Last, we evaluated the nutritional adequacy of the diets against the Norwegian nutrition recommendations for children aged 2–5 years. The current diet was assessed by an FFQ. Results Environmental impacts of the current habitual diet were up to two times higher than those of the scenario diets. Compared with the current diet, impacts from the FBDG scenario diet were reduced by 35% for water use and 18% for terrestrial acidification, whereas impacts from the EAT-Lancet scenario diet were reduced by 51% for water use, 57% for terrestrial acidification, 36% for global warming potential and 27% for freshwater eutrophication. Milk and dairy products were the main contributors to environmental impacts in both the current diet and the FBDG scenario diet. The scenario diets were nutritionally adequate and improved the dietary quality among Norwegian 2-year-olds. Conclusion Compared to current diets among young children, more plant-based dietary patterns in line with national FBDG or the EAT-Lancet Commission reference diet can improve the nutritional adequacy of diets and simultaneously reduce environmental impacts.

• Andresen, Ellen Cecilie; Hjelkrem, Anne-Grete Roer; Bakken, Anne Kjersti & Andersen, Lene Frost (2022). Environmental Impact of Feeding with Infant Formula in Comparison with Breastfeeding. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH). ISSN 1661-7827. 19(11). doi: 10.3390/ijerph19116397. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Young children have unique nutritional requirements, and breastfeeding is the best option to support healthy growth and development. Concerns have been raised around the increasing use of milk-based infant formulas in replacement of breastfeeding, in regards to health, social, economic and environmental factors. However, literature on the environmental impact of infant formula feeding and breastfeeding is scarce. In this study we estimated the environmental impact of four months exclusive feeding with infant formula compared to four months exclusive breastfeeding in a Norwegian setting. We used life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, including the impact categories global warming potential, terrestrial acidification, marine and freshwater eutrophication, and land use. We found that the environmental impact of four months exclusive feeding with infant formula was 35–72% higher than that of four months exclusive breastfeeding, depending on the impact category. For infant formula, cow milk was the main contributor to total score for all impact categories. The environmental impact of breastfeeding was dependant on the composition of the lactating mother’s diet. In conclusion, we found that breastfeeding has a lower environmental impact than feeding with infant formula. A limitation of the study is the use of secondary LCA data for raw ingredients and processes.

• Andresen, Ellen Cecilie; Wandel, Margareta; Eide, Wenche Barth; Herselman, M & Iversen, Per Ole (2009). Delivery of the Nutrition Supplementation Programme in the Cape Town metropolitan area from the perspective of mothers of under-fives: A qualitative study. South African Journal of Child Health. ISSN 1994-3032. 3(3), p. 90–95. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

• Bjøntegaard, Marie Michaelsen; Carlsen, Monica Hauger; Wright, Ellen Cecilie & Andersen, Lene Frost (2023). Poster Throne Holst Symposium 2023: Compilation of an environmental LCA food database. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA