The UN urges to change the food system to save the planet

Changing the way the world’s population eats, with more legumes, fruits, vegetables and nuts and less meat, could prevent a huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Specifically, eight times those generated by transport throughout the European Union per year (or what is the same, up to 8 gigatons of _CO2). And this is just one of the contributions that the food system can achieve so that the planet does not exceed the 2ºC of warming set in the Paris Agreement, the barrier from which the worst face of climate change is shown.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on Thursday released a special report with recommendations on land use. In it, the authors call for increasing forest mass, reducing land use for crops and livestock, applying technical improvements in its management, as well as moving towards low-emission diets and reducing food waste. Because, the text says, keeping global warming below 2 degrees can only be achieved by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors, including land use and the food system.

Global population growth and changes in the consumption of food, feed, timber and energy have caused “unprecedented rates” of land and freshwater exploitation, the report says. Today 500 million people live in places that have become deserts and the rate of soil loss is between 10 and 100 times faster than the rate of regeneration. But adopting climate action alongside a more sustainable model of land exploitation could reduce the risk “for millions of people” of extreme weather events, desertification, land degradation and food insecurity, according to the authors.

Agriculture: diverse and resistant crops

Agriculture, forestry and other types of land use account for 23% of human greenhouse gas emissions. If the gases generated during the rest of the production process (such as the transport necessary in its distribution) are included in this account, the figure reaches 37%. With a growing population to feed, emissions are expected to continue to rise. In addition, agriculture alone accounts for 70% of the world’s freshwater use. Therefore, the IPCC highlights the potential of measures such as better management of fertilizers and crops (with the introduction of varieties with genetic improvements to resist heat and drought, for example, or resort to crop diversification) to fight climate change and its effects.

Livestock: breeds with genetic improvements

For livestock, the IPCC’s proposals include better management of grazing land, better manure management, higher quality feed and the use of genetically improved breeds. “The total technical mitigation potential of agricultural and livestock activities, and agroforestry is estimated at 2.3-9.6 gigatons of _CO2 by 2050,” the report states. According to the UN Environment, 53.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide were emitted worldwide in 2017, and the goal is to reduce it to about 42 by 2030.

Consume less meat

Since the 60s, the consumption of vegetable oils and meat has more than doubled and the contribution of calories in the diet has increased by about a third. Therefore, IPCC scientists point out that changing the way the world’s population eats, with more legumes, fruits, vegetables and nuts and less meat, is an important pillar in the fight against climate change. It is not about being vegan or vegetarian, but that the meat consumed is less in quantity and has been produced sustainably. “Some dietary choices require more land and water, and cause more emissions of heat-trapping gases than others,” explained Debra Roberts, co-chair of IPCC Working Group II. By eating a plant-based diet, “millions of square kilometers” that are currently destined for intensive livestock farming could be released and thus avoid emitting between 0.7 and 8 gigatons of _CO2 by 2050.

Avoid waste

Between 25 and 30% of the food produced is lost or ends up in the trash. A waste that is responsible for between 8% and 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to IPCC estimates. Therefore, experts call for adjusting the level of production, applying educational measures, or improving storage, transport and packaging techniques. In this way, they estimate that millions of square kilometers could be “released” that could be used, for example, for reforestation.

Food safety

The report highlights that climate change is already affecting the four pillars of food security. And as the planet’s temperature rises (and therefore the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather events), food security will decline: land yields will fall, especially in the tropics, food prices will rise, the quality of the nutrients they provide will be reduced, and supply chain disruptions will be more likely. In a scenario with average population growth, with the application of certain technological advances and consumption in line with the current trend, global economic and crop models project an average increase of 7.6% in cereal prices in 2050 due to climate change, which would increase the price of other foods and lead to a greater risk of food insecurity.

Forests: curbing deforestation

While forests can absorb greenhouse gases, desertification and deforestation can amplify warming as a result of vegetation cover loss and soil erosion. Therefore, reducing deforestation and forest degradation could achieve the reduction of between 0.4 and 5.8 gigatons of _CO2.

Act soon

The report concludes that taking immediate action, reducing emissions and implementing sustainable land management, could prevent “millions of people” from being exposed in the future to extreme weather events, desertification, land degradation and food insecurity. Delaying it could, instead, have “irreversible impacts” on ecosystems and accelerate global warming.

Source: ABC