Agriculture & Food
The triple planetary crisis - to which our food system contributes - poses a significant threat to future capacity to deliver healthy and affordable diets for all. Taking a food systems approach can help unpack the intersection of food systems and the triple planetary crisis, ensuring nutrition and improved livelihoods, and can lay the foundations for long-term food security and resilience.
In its current state, the food system is responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions result from several supply chain activities including fertilizer production, transportation, storage, food processing and packaging, and waste disposal. Today, 13% of food produced is lost after harvest and before it reaches store shelves, while a staggering further 19% is wasted in our homes, supermarkets and restaurants. Food loss waste is responsible for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Methane emissions from enteric fermentation of livestock and from rice cultivation account for over half of all global human-driven methane emissions, while nitrous oxide emissions from manure and from the use of chemical fertilizers account for nearly 80 per cent of the global total. Resultingly, agriculture provides significant mitigation potential of 4.1 (1.7–6.7) GtCO2-eq yr-1 (up to USD100 tCO2-eq-1) from cropland and grassland soil carbon management, agroforestry, use of biochar, improved rice cultivation, and livestock and nutrient management.
The global food system is the leading driver of biodiversity loss and deforestation, and the single largest land user. Agriculture alone threatens 24,000 of the 28,000 (86%) species at risk of extinction. Declines in pollinator populations and soil health further threaten crop yields and the resilience of adjacent ecosystems. A major source of air pollution and of nutrient overloading in waterways, food systems are also the largest driver of freshwater withdrawals.
Our food system is failing to deliver positive outcomes for human health. This interconnection is evident through a variety of concerns including the transmission of zoonotic diseases between animals and humans; nutritional issues around ultra-processed foods and drinks, and accessibility to healthy and nutritious food, and their impact in health issues related to the triple burden of malnutrition. Despite this evidence, the majority (87%) of $540 billion of support to agricultural producers is either price distorting or harmful to nature and health. Repurposing this support can help transform food systems and achieve the SDGs.
UNEP is playing a leading role in advancing the policies, tools, and knowledge products available for decision makers in the public and the private sector to enable and shape the sustainable production of food, and achieve circular food systems. Strategic investments in four cross-cutting action areas - Science and Evidence, Policy and Regulation, Governance and Finance, Industry engagement and Innovation – are essential in UNEP’s efforts to strengthen enabling factors of finance and governance and accelerate progress towards nature-positive and resilient agriculture, circular food systems, and sustainable diets and health.
Forests
Forests, a fundamental component of the AFOLU sector, are indispensable to our planet's health and the well-being of its inhabitants. This sector, encompassing forestry activities, plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change, biodiversity preservation, and sustaining the livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as well as providing food, medicine, water and energy for people living in cities.
Forestry activities within the AFOLU sector span a wide spectrum of practices, including forest conservation, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity enhancement, and productive forestry endeavors.
Forests offer an integral climate solution. Reducing deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) – including of peatlands and mangroves – represents one of the most effective, mature, and robust mitigation options with the potential to slash emissions by about 4 Gt a year. Forests can soak up 30 per cent of emissions from industry and fossil fuels, and provide 27% of the solution needed to reach the Paris Agreement goals.
Forests are more than carbon sinks- they are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity and offer a lifeline to the world’s most marginalized communities. Forests are essential to stabilize the temperature raise, the health of the planet, its people, biodiversity, and water and food security. Their economic value has been estimated at $150 trillion.
Forests also play a vital role in climate adaptation. As climate change leads to more frequent and severe weather events, forests act as natural buffers. They mitigate the impacts of floods by absorbing excess water and stabilizing soil, reducing the risk of landslides. Additionally, the complex root systems of trees help replenish groundwater resources, ensuring a steady supply of freshwater for both people and ecosystems.
Their inhabitants, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), have a deep-rooted connection with forests, often relying on them for their livelihoods, culture, and spirituality. Forests are not just a source of income for IPLCs; they are integral to their identity and way of life. Sustainable forestry practices can empower these communities to thrive while conserving the rich biodiversity of their territories.
Moreover, forests are treasure troves of medicinal resources. Indigenous knowledge systems often hold valuable insights into the healing properties of various plant species found in forests. Many modern pharmaceuticals have their origins in traditional herbal remedies. Protecting and sustainably managing forests ensures that these vital resources remain available for both indigenous communities and the broader population.
Yet despite these benefits and the growing political momentum for forests, but there are still gaps between ambition and action and there is an urgent and large-scale need for action to halt and reverse deforestation. Solutions to protect, restore and sustainably manage forests are cost-effective but require sufficient financing. To meet the target, we need to replicate for forestry the conditions that are enabling decarbonization in the energy sector: the combined effect of incentives through increased carbon floor price (USD 30-50 per ton) and predictability of demand while securing social and environmental high integrity emissions reductions.
In conclusion, the AFOLU sector, with its focus on forestry activities, holds immense potential for addressing the pressing challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, food and water security, and the well-being of indigenous peoples. By recognizing the value of forests as carbon sinks, natural buffers, and sources of sustenance and medicine, we can foster a harmonious relationship between humanity and nature. It is imperative that we prioritize the conservation and sustainable management of forests to secure a resilient and sustainable future for our planet and all its inhabitants. The continued support and collaboration of governments, organizations, and individuals worldwide are crucial in achieving this vision.
Other Land Use
Other land uses may encompass wetland conservation, urban green spaces, diversified agriculture, grassland restoration, and community-based conservation. For instance: peatlands – a type of wetland – are unique ecosystems that cover only around 3-4% of the planet’s land surface but contain up to one third of the world’s soil carbon. The Global Peatlands Initiative is a partnership for action working to save peatlands as the world’s largest terrestrial organic carbon stock and to prevent it being emitted into the atmosphere. Halting and reversing peatlands degradation and keeping the irrecoverable carbon locked away in healthy peatlands is critical to achieving global climate. nature and water goals. As outlined in UNEP’s Global Peatlands Assessment (GPA), the main direct anthropogenic driver of change in peatlands is drainage for agriculture and afforestation for the production of food and other commodities such as palm oil. Because of the enormous density of carbon stored in peatlands, peatland drainage and degradation cause globally significant greenhouse gas emissions: degraded peatlands currently emit about 2,000 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent [CO2 e] of greenhouse gases, which is 4% of all anthropogenic emissions, fires excluded. When peatlands are on fire, that proportion can double. The GPA’s summary for policy-makers is clear that this must be addressed in land-use and climate policies worldwide; where damaging practices cannot be reversed and peatlands restored, policies to raise water levels in peatlands still used for forestry and agriculture should be considered.
