A new report in the prestigious journal, Nature Climate Change, has mapped out a six-lane pathway to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to help us meet the Paris Agreement target of 1.5C of global warming. And, one of the most accessible ways to help meet the goal are changes to how we produce food and what we consume. It is further validation from a highly credible source that what we put on our plates can have a major impact on slowing down the climate crisis.
The report says that transforming land-based systems and how we manage agriculture, our food systems, forestry, wetlands and biodiversity, could deliver 30% of the global emissions reductions needed to meet the 1.5C Paris target. Three suggested changes to food systems: transitioning to a mostly plant-based diet; how we manage food waste; and how we manage food loss, could deliver one-fifth of these reductions.
Shift to Plant-Based Diet: If one in five people in the US, the EU, China, Brazil, Argentina, Russia and Australia, shifted to a largely plant-based diet by 2030, this would deliver 20% of the required emissions reduction. And if 50% of people in these countries made this diet shift by 2050, it would deliver a 50% reduction compared with the status quo.
The report shows that this pathway to reduce the consumption of GHG intensive foods (such as meat, eggs and dairy) is achievable if supported by public health policies, consumer campaigns and the development of new foods. This diet shift is described as largely-plant based with no more than 2,500 calories and 60 grams of animal protein per day.
Food Waste: China, the EU, North America and Latin America have the highest potential to reduce food waste if supported by consumer campaigns, private sector policies, supply chain technology, better food labelling and waste-to-biogas systems.
Food Loss: South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have the most potential to reduce food loss through improved storage, handling and transportation systems -- for example, by using refrigeration.
According to the World Resources Institute, there is an important difference between food waste and food loss that requires different solutions. Food waste is food of good quality and fit for consumption but is not eaten either before or after it is left to spoil. Food loss occurs during the production, storage, processing and distribution stages of the food system. One-third of all food produced for humans, worth about $1 trillion, is wasted or lost per year.
The Nature study says that these changes to our food systems deliver multiple economic, environmental and health co-benefits. “Decreasing meat consumption and food waste reduces land needed for feed, water use and soil degradation thereby increasing resources for improved food security,” the report says. And eating fewer animal products also eases the environmental burden of current animal agriculture methods.
“Since agriculture accounts for 56% of methane emissions …. reducing CH4 (methane, a potent GHG) emissions from livestock and rice cultivation would reduce global warming effects sooner and may offset delays in reducing emissions,” the report said.
The report also recommends changes to how we manage carbon sinks such as forests, peat lands and coastal vegetation such as mangrove forests. For example, Canada has one of the highest ratings for mitigation potential through increased reforestation, afforestation (planting trees where none existed) and better forest management.
The six-lane pathway shows how all these land-based sectors are interconnected and that a concerted effort across all them is required to meet the Paris emission reduction targets. Some of these are large scale systems requiring changes to policies, industries and economic incentives. And some, like the food on our plates, is within our control and in our food stores and kitchens right now.
Source: “Contribution of the land sector to a 1.5C world”, https://www.nature.com/nclimate/