Food's Green Price: Farming's Future
Modern farming harms our planet through emissions and waste. Sustainable methods like plant-based diets offer hope for global food security.
Topics: environment, science
Example
A study by EU scientists in Nature Food in March 2021 estimated that the global food system produced about 18 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2015, about one-third (34%) of all emissions. About 71% of that came from farming and land use, such as clearing forests and methane from livestock; the rest came from the supply chain, including transport, packaging, retail and waste.
Key facts
- A 2021 Nature Food study estimated that food systems produced about 18 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent in 2015, 34% of global emissions.
- About 71% of food-system emissions came from agriculture and land use, the rest from supply-chain activities.
Limitations
- Other studies give lower shares, about a quarter, depending on what is counted; the figure also hides big differences between foods, such as beef versus beans.
Evaluations
environment evaluation
Support
With a third of emissions coming from food, climate goals cannot be met by cleaning up energy alone.
Counterargument
Food is a basic need and demand will grow with population, so cutting its emissions is harder than switching power sources.
Rebuttal
Cutting waste, which is a large share of supply-chain emissions, and shifting diets in rich countries can reduce emissions without less food for the poor.
Additional support
Land use change, mainly forest clearing for farms, is a large part of the total, linking diets to deforestation in places such as the Amazon.
science evaluation
Support
The study built a detailed global database of emissions at every stage of the food chain, giving policymakers a clearer picture than earlier estimates.
Counterargument
Estimates of land-use emissions are uncertain, which is why studies differ on food's exact share.
Rebuttal
Even the lower estimates make food one of the largest sources, so the policy conclusion holds despite uncertainty.
Additional support
Research into methane-reducing cattle feed and lab-grown meat shows science trying to cut the largest sources directly.
Sources
- Nature Food (2021-03-08): Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions (Crippa et al.)
- Mongabay (2021-04-01): Food systems drive a third of greenhouse gas emissions, study estimates