Food may be the solution to some of our most pressing environmental and social challenges. But right now, our food and agriculture systems are broken in multiple ways.
At least 2 billion people lack regular access to safe and nutritious food, while one-third of all food produced globally is either lost or wasted—and if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. Food and agriculture alone is responsible for more than one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and is the primary driver of biodiversity loss. And this year, record-high food prices have triggered a global crisis driving millions more into extreme poverty.
But food may be our biggest solution—if it can get the attention it deserves. In the past, food has not been center stage at major negotiations around climate, deforestation, or other pressing problems.
However, that’s changing. At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November, the world has an opportunity to implement solutions that can be a win-win-win—for the environment, for solving hunger, and for promoting more sustainable economies.