Current global food systems accelerate climate change

2018 has revealed precisely how vulnerable food systems are to extreme weather and other results of man-made climate change. Moreover, agriculture, forestry and land-use change alone – not including food transport and other energy-intensive processes – contribute around 20 to 25% to global annual emissions. The latest Special Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made clear that a 2°C increase of global temperature must be avoided at all costs. In 2018, FAO noted that the absolute number of undernourished people has continued to increase, between 2016 and 2017, and other nutrition targets are also being missed. Climate extremes and variability are threatening to erode and reverse previous gains made. The drive for calories in food production is causing health challenges, including obesity. Climate change is exacerbating food and nutrition insecurity and inequalities.What kinds of changes need to be made?

  • Climate-smart food systems.
  •  Incentives for consumers to change their diets.
  • Innovative foods.
  • Collaboration between natural science and social science.
  • New international science advisory mechanism.