Broken food systems in urgent need of regeneration

UN plans to slash livestock methane emissions and deliver clean water for all by 2030

The Emirates Biofarm in the Green Zone at Cop28, Expo City Dubai. Bloomberg

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Halving food waste and a 25 per cent cut in livestock-produced methane emissions are key elements of a UN blueprint addressing global hunger caused by climate change.

Farming is a major source of greenhouse emissions, with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation calling for a rebalancing of food systems to preserve a third of global food at risk from climate change.

“The FAO is ready to offer support to upscale sustainable practices, improve strategic policies and actions, provide technical support and leverage financing,” said its director general Dr Qu Dongyu.

He said agrifood solutions were ready-made measures available to address climate change.

"Agroforestry is a key climate solution with huge potential to simultaneously improve food security and nutrition and alleviate poverty, while halting deforestation, conserving biodiversity, building resilience, and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Meeting the needs of a growing population

Major changes are required in agriculture in order to stay on track for the goal of 1.5C increase in global temperatures.

A list of 20 targets laid down in a document published during Cop28 aim to be achieved before 2050. However, few details were given on how food production could be curbed and the nutritional needs of a global population expected to reach 10 billion could also be met.

“Farmers need access to training, technology, markets, and financial support to adopt agroforestry practices effectively.”

The road-map aims to provide safe, affordable drinking water for all, and sustainably manage the world’s fisheries by 2030. It also hopes to scrap the use of traditional biomass for cooking by 2030, with alternative, safer fuels used instead.

The UN hopes the FAO plan will receive worldwide commitment in the years ahead, with a culmination in Cop30 due to take place in Brazil by establishing more country action plans, monitoring on progress and accountability.

Although widespread calls for a meat tax were not answered, the UN said it would explore measures to tax sugar, salt and ultra-processed foods responsible for multiple global health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cancer.

Importance of food labels

Meanwhile, the report addressed changes to food labelling, handing more knowledge to consumers to make better, informed dietary choices.

Tom Vilsack, the US secretary of agriculture, said efforts were being made to convince families "they can save around $1,500 a year by focusing on food waste".

To reduce emissions, the FAO said land and resources should be used more efficiently with more climate finance dedicated to agriculture to encourage farmers to switch to more sustainable practises. Agriculture currently claims around 4 per cent of total climate finance.

UAE fund

A joint $17 billion fund has already been established by the US and UAE to promote sustainable innovation in agriculture and the food sector.

The support announced earlier this week at Cop28 was ratified by more than 600 partners from the government and the private sectors under the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM).

In the UAE, targets set for 2030 aim to halve the amount of food waste in the country.

UAE's Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Al Mheiri leaves next to Brazil's Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva after attending a press conference during Cop28. EPA

Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said the area had huge potential for positive change.

"If you look at food loss and food waste, that's a section that has to be tackled - there’s a lot in that space we can do," she said.

"Methane reduction is such a central part of that.”

Prof Appolinaire Djikeng, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute said the FAO plan would strengthen the agricultural sector.

“The strategy makes valuable and pragmatic recommendations for increasing climate finance to help improve the productivity of livestock systems in low-income countries,” he said.

"The roadmap makes the important distinction between the challenges facing livestock systems in low-income countries and the environmental impact of livestock systems in high-income countries.”

The needs of small scale farmers in developing countries should not be forgotten, said Prof Djikeng.

Soil regenerating crops

WhatIF Foods is a company that grows Bambara beans in Ghana for plant-based milk and noodles, and regenerates soil through nitrogen deposits - the kind of agri-tech that could solve the global farming crisis.

“We're living in a world where 12 crops and five animals make more than 75 per cent of our food being consumed,” said Christoph Langwallner, chief executive of Singapore-based WhatIF.

“We are leaving consumers with too many calories and empty nutrients in their stomachs.

“One third of all greenhouse gasses are being admitted by our industry, with 70 per cent of all fresh water reserves used by agriculture and food. But there are solutions, such as this regenerative agriculture.”

WhatIF foods works with 7,000 partnering farmers to grow the Bambara bean, a natural crop high in protein, amino acids and carbohydrate. Crucially, it requires minimal water to thrive.

“We're living in a world where more than 52 per cent of arable land is already severely degraded or degrading at a speed,” said Mr Langwallner.

“WhatIF foods is aiming to have an impact on about 50,000 hectares of land with Bambara crops.

“That ground is going to be restored, and welcome 25,000 farmers into a regenerative economy that is ending poverty for them.”