A new report from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food warns that national climate plans often fail to prioritize food systems.
If the world can change the way it produces, distributes, consumes, and disposes of food, estimates show we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10 billion metric tons a year. That would get us 20% of the way to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The new report carefully considered the climate plans of China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Bangladesh, and Egypt.
Even though studies show that sustainable diet can reduce emissions, none of the other countries explicitly included it in their commitments.
No nation has considered the emissions of food imports or the way they can cause destruction elsewhere in the world.
The national climate actions at the heart of the Paris Agreement are critical to delivering on ecological, biodiversity, health, economic, social, and cultural goals.
A food systems approach builds climate resilience and results in a variety of context-specific solutions for food production, distribution, consumption, and waste. Climate policy ignores food systems.
Land in the US is one of the most fertile areas in the world, and food systems here represent a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.
The latest US climate plans do account for carbon dioxide emissions from the land sector, but they do not include plans for changing diet or reducing food waste.
The US has a small overseas land footprint. According to the report, the UK national climate plans aren't doing enough to mitigate the international impact of its demands.
The UK plans are based on unclear advice from the government. The data has not been made public.
EU climate plans submitted to the UN do not explicitly mention food, diet, or food waste, but the European Union Green Deal has a strategy to improve food production, transport, and waste.
The report admits that the EU-level legislation is not intended to be very prescriptive about actions and measures, but rather allowing space for Member States to develop policies that are suited to their national circumstances.
China is the largest food producer in the world. China has had to import a lot of soybeans to feed its livestock as local meat demands continue to rise. This has led to increased destruction in South America.
The damage at home is not good. Some of the most fertile parts of China are at risk from climate change. Within 30 years, they could run dry. China's climate plans don't mention food system issues, according to the current report.
According to one interviewee, this omission is mainly because China's national determined contribution primarily addressed the 2030 climate goal which prioritized energy-related CO 2 emissions.
The lack of data could be a contributing factor to the omission. They say that there has been no research done on China's food systems. Only a few studies exist on this topic.
The most ambitious plans were found in Columbia, Senegal, and Kenya. Promoting sustainable farming practices and improving locally-led agriculture were some of the things these nations were focused on.
Measures to build climate resilience through sustainable land use management are included in national climate plans. Safety nets and extension services have been created by climate change funds to ensure marginalized communities have what they need to succeed.
Climate plans for food systems are very detailed in Senegal, where half of the population is employed in agriculture.
One of the only nations with a climate plan that includes gender equality as a form of sustainable development is it. The authors argue that the plan could add more detail on how women and rural communities can act as agents of change in the shift to sustainable agriculture and healthy diet.
There is room for improvement in the most comprehensive climate plans. If we can fix food systems to be more sustainable, it will go a long way towards ensuring climate resilience.
The world cannot afford to miss out.
The report can be found on the website of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food.
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