US 2002 mean food energy production

Value 15850 kJ/person/day
Organism Human Homo sapiens
Reference Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin, Diet, Energy and Global Warming, Earth Interactions, Vol. 10, pp. 1-17, March 2006 link p.3 2nd paragraph
Primary Source FAOSTAT, 2005: Statistical Database of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, available from link
Method P.4 bottom paragraph: "To obtain the mean American diet, researchers use actual per capita food supply data summarized in the Food Balance Sheets for 2002 (primary source). Those Balance Sheets report a total gross caloric consumption of 3774 Kcal/person/day), of which 1047 Kcal (BNID 104636), or 27.7%, are animal-based."
Comments P.3 2nd paragraph: "Accounting for food exports, in 2002 the U.S. food production system produced 3774 Kcal/person/day or 1.4 × 10^15 BTU/yr nationwide (primary source). (The difference between 3774 Kcal/person/day and the needed average ~2100 Kcal person/day is due to overeating and food discarded after being fully processed and distributed.)" Value derived using 3774kcal in the equation 1 Calorie=~4.2 Joule. See also energy needed for survival 4000kJ/person/day (BNID 100728), Energy needed for human at "white collar" work 8000kJ (BNID 100729).
Entered by Uri M
ID 104634