Healthier diets and reducing food waste are part of a combination of solutions needed to ensure food security and avoid dangerous climate change, say the team behind a new study.
A new study, published today in Nature Climate Change, suggests that – if current trends continue – food production alone will reach, if not exceed, the global targets for total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2050.
The study’s authors say we should all think carefully about the food we choose and its environmental impact. A shift to healthier diets across the world is just one of a number of actions that need to be taken to avoid dangerous climate change and ensure there is enough food for all.
As populations rise and global tastes shift towards meat-heavy Western diets, increasing agricultural yields will not meet projected food demands of what is expected to be 9.6 billion people – making it necessary to bring more land into cultivation.
This will come at a high price, warn the authors, as the deforestation will increase carbon emissions as well as biodiversity loss, and increased livestock production will raise methane levels. They argue that current food demand trends must change through reducing waste and encouraging balanced diets.
If we maintain ‘business as usual’, say the authors, then by 2050 cropland will have expanded by 42% and fertiliser use increased sharply by 45% over 2009 levels. A further tenth of the world’s pristine tropical forests would disappear over the next 35 years.
The study shows that increased deforestation, fertilizer use and livestock methane emissions are likely to cause GHG from food production to increase by almost 80%. This will put emissions from food production alone roughly equal to the target greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 for the entire global economy.
The study’s authors write that halving the amount of food waste and managing demand for particularly environmentally-damaging food products by changing global diets should be key aims that, if achieved, might mitigate some of the greenhouse gases causing climate change.
The Latest on: Reducing climate change
via Google News
The Latest on: Reducing climate change
- Gran stages one-woman protest over the speed of action on climate change in Renfrewshireon August 1, 2022 at 11:21 pm
Renfrewshire Council highlights its credentials and says "we need to work together to reach this ambitious goal of net-zero" ...
- Viroqua coffee company: Climate change reducing access to certain coffee flavorson August 1, 2022 at 10:54 pm
According to the consumer price index, the price of coffee has surged nearly 16 percent nationwide since June 2021. At Wonderstate Coffee’s roastery in Viroqua, the facility processes two to three ...
- Africa: Climate Change Is Intensifying the Water Cycle, Bringing More Powerful Storms and Flooding - Here's What the Science Showson August 1, 2022 at 10:20 pm
Powerful storm systems triggered flash flooding across the U.S. in late July, killing at least 28 people in eastern Kentucky as floodwater engulfed homes and set off mudslides. Record rainfall also ...
- How Climate Change is Intensifying the Water Cycle, Bringing More Powerful Storms and Hurricaneson August 1, 2022 at 9:55 pm
Powerful storm systems triggered flash flooding across the U.S. in late July, killing at least 25 people in eastern Kentucky as floodwater engulfed homes ...
- The Greens’ climate trigger policy could become law. Experts explain how it could help cut emissions – and why we should be cautiouson August 1, 2022 at 9:25 pm
Under the Greens’ proposal, future projects, such as a new mine or high emissions industrial plant, would be assessed on the climate harms they’d potentially cause.
- My Take: WV v. EPA shows need for climate actionon August 1, 2022 at 9:15 pm
With all the news recently and all the controversy over the Supreme Courts other rulings, you might have missed West Virginia v. EPA. In the case, the Court invalidated the Clean Power Plan, a ...
- Harris cites climate ‘crisis,’ pushes $1B for floods, storms during Florida visiton August 1, 2022 at 5:42 pm
On a visit to Miami, Harris announced a series of grants being made available to states to help communities across the nation prepare for and respond to climate-related disasters. Touring the National ...
- Climate change: Potential to end humanity is 'dangerously underexplored' say expertson August 1, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Global heating could become "catastrophic" for humanity if temperature rises are worse than many predict or cause cascades of events we have yet to consider, or indeed both. The world needs to start ...
- Climate change is disrupting our food system, which makes it vulnerable to new criseson August 1, 2022 at 11:35 am
Weather, the atmosphere, the oceans, and the climate are all changing. That has devastating effects on crops, livestock, and fisheries.
- Climate change is intensifying water cycle, bringing more floodingon August 1, 2022 at 5:33 am
The impact of climate change on extreme water-related events like recent flooding in Kentucky, St. Louis and elsewhere is becoming increasingly evident.
via Bing News