Main areas of action (Climate, DRR & Environment)

The need for agri-food systems to adapt to climate change is unavoidable given global warming trajectories and scenarios based on scientific data. At the same time, and given the considerable contribution of food systems to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss, a number of measures need to be put in place to mitigate and reduce these negative impacts.

Reducing the impact of food systems on climate and the environment

The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report estimates the overall potential for reducing GHG emissions from the food sector in the medium and long terms at 44% by 2050, representing the fourth highest reduction potential (after electricity, transport and infrastructure)¹.

Supply-side options:

• The options with the highest potential for reducing food system emissions between now and 2030 are:
  • Reducing the conversion of natural ecosystems
  • Increasing carbon capture and sequestration in agriculture through practices such as agroforestry or agroecology
  • Restoring ecosystems, including through afforestation and reforestation.
• Developing and supporting perennial crops to replace the annual crops – mainly cereals – that occupy around 80% of the world's harvested area would make it possible to reduce GHG emissions from agriculture, and even turn crops into carbon sinks, while reducing soil erosion and the loss of nutrients, and increasing moisture retention.

Demand-side options:

• Shifting to diets with a higher share of plant protein and moderate intake of animal-sourced foods can reduce food-related GHG emissions while generating significant co-benefits in terms of human health. The policy instruments need to consider country contexts, cultural values, social acceptance, and inequalities, and may include:
  • Public procurement protocols
  • Health insurance
  • Awareness raising campaigns
  • Public health guidelines
  • Restrictions on marketing to children
  • Nutrition labelling and the reformulation of products.

Value chains and governance:

• Integrated production systems, which combine di- verse farming practices such as crop rotation, agroforestry, and mixed livestock-crop systems, with a broad range of genetic resources, including different crop varieties and traditional plant breeds, can reduce risks and dependencies while enhancing food system resilience to climate change and global shocks.
• Local territorial food systems can reduce GHG emissions generated between food production and consumption.

Developing specific value chains that are aligned with environmental sustainability, fairness and localisation of markets calls for efforts to convince the private sector to reduce its environmental footprint and to assist in the transition.

As public authorities and funding bodies adapt to changing conditions, they face the challenges of investing in appropriate research and development while balancing economic and societal interests and ensuring that they are inclusive and responsive to the needs of stakeholders and communities.

Reducing the vulnerability of food systems to climate and environmental risks

Risk mitigation needs to be considered from the point of view of the food system as a whole, in line with the holistic and non-linear approach. The figure below presents a non-exhaustive set of response options from the point of view of food systems, and covers the entire value chain from production to consumption. These options are organised according to their mitigation and adaptation potential to climate change, and by the stage of the food system (agricultural or livestock production, processing, consumption).

The options in the top right-hand quadrant appear to offer the greatest added value for the sustainable transformation of food systems. These options are effective in building a climate-resilient food system while reducing climate risks.

Sustainable Land Management:

Sustainable Land Management (SLM) supports healthy ecosystems and soils, increases agricultural productivity, and contributes to climate change adaptation and mitigation through:

• Water-efficient irrigation
• Drought-resilient crops
• Diversification of cropping systems
• Agroforestry and agroecology
• Crop rotation, intercropping and zero tillage.

SLM also improves food and nutrition security.

Policy recommendations for the transformation to climate-sensitive food systems

Many signatory countries to the Paris Agreement have included mitigation and adaptation plans related to their food systems in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Governments are paying increasing attention to the conversion of convention- al agriculture towards more sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural approaches, but are paying less attention to the services and institutional frameworks – climate information ser- vices, insurance, credit – that can facilitate the transition.

Policies that operate across the food system, including those that reduce food loss and waste and influence dietary choices, enable more sustainable land-use management, enhanced food security and low-emission trajectories. Such policies can contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation, reduce land degradation, desertification and poverty, and improve public health.

The figure below illustrates the demand- and supply-side pol- icy areas and options for policy intervention for transforming food systems towards greater resilience and sustainability. This compilation of different families of policies and measures is not exhaustive.

According to the IPCC, up to twenty families of public policy areas have the potential to shape agri-food systems directly or indirectly through environmental regulations, market interventions and by influencing consumer behaviour.

Fair and equitable trade:

• Food trade and food sovereignty are complementary el ements of food and nutrition security, and must be ad- dressed together. International trade can provide a safety net by making up for shortfalls through imports, but should not come at the expense of strengthening the local and regional food systems that are crucial to local resilience.

Finance:

• Access to finance is a key element in transforming food systems. Many mechanisms are available, but the lack of knowledge about how and where to access what, and who is eligible for which mechanisms, are barriers to participation. Financial education can lower these barriers and facilitate access.
• Governments can employ subsidies and incentive taxes to promote the conversion of conventional agricultural practices to more agroecological practices, to recognise the value of ecosystem services, to support reforestation, and to transition away from fossil fuels.
• Climate financing should recognise food systems as a major source of GHG emissions, and should prioritise adaptation and mitigation strategies such as land restoration, more sustainable agroecological agri-food practices, investments in supply chains to reduce losses, and investments in production of affordable, nutritious products.

Vulnerable groups:

In the spirit of leaving no one behind, the consideration of vulnerable groups – women, men and children with disabilities; elderly people; poor people; and other groups excluded on the basis of gender or social and cultural discrimination – should in- form all policy responses to C/D/E challenges in terms of access to affordable healthy and sufficient food, particularly during periods of acute shock or stress. All interventions should strive to empower marginalised groups through collective action, such as inclusive self-help groups, and should support access to inclusive education and finance, accessible food distribution and enhancement.

• Tools and approaches to mainstreaming: CEDRIG

  CEDRIG (SDC) systematically integrates climate change, natural hazards and environmental issues at the project or programme level. Based on a comprehensive context analysis, the tool assesses whether or not a planned or ongoing intervention is at risk from climate change, natural hazards or environmental issues and whether the intervention may have an adverse impact on the climate or on the environment, or create new or exacerbate existing risks. The tool helps define measures to integrate Climate, DRR and Environment in project activities, programmes and strategies.

  ISO standards, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria for evaluating the private sector and invest- ment products are designed to guide stakeholders in making responsible decisions in accordance with the do no harm principle.