UN's Blueprint for Combating Global Hunger in a Warming World

The United Nations has emphasized the critical role of overhauling global food systems in curbing the rise in global temperatures, presenting the initial phase of a plan aimed at sustaining food production within the 1.5-degree Celsius limit.

The vulnerability of food production to climate change is evident, with studies indicating that up to a third of the world's food supply could face jeopardy due to the impacts of global warming.

Agriculture and livestock farming stand as significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, directly accounting for approximately a tenth of global carbon output, a figure that more than doubles when considering the conversion of natural habitats into farmlands.

However, the UN has, until now, refrained from detailing a comprehensive strategy to meet both the nutritional demands of an expanding global population—expected to reach 10 billion by 2050—and the imperative to achieve net-zero global greenhouse gas emissions by the same year to cap the rise in global temperatures at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Maximo Torero, the chief economist for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), highlighted the need to address hunger while staying within the 1.5-degree limit, stressing the importance of rebalancing global food systems.

Torero pointed out regional disparities in protein consumption and fertilizer usage, suggesting the need for adjustments tailored to specific areas. He advocated for intensified livestock rearing in some regions while emphasizing the restoration of degraded pasturelands in others.

Outlined over the next two to three years, the roadmap initiates with a document introduced at Cop28 in Dubai, featuring 20 key targets spanning from 2025 to 2050. However, it lacks intricate details on how these targets will be achieved. Subsequent elaboration on the roadmap's implementation will be presented in forthcoming installments during the next two Cop summits.

The outlined targets include reducing livestock methane emissions by 25% by 2030, ensuring sustainable management of all global fisheries by 2030, providing safe and affordable drinking water universally by 2030, halving food waste by 2030, and eliminating the use of traditional biomass for cooking by 2030.

While acknowledging the FAO's initiative in addressing extreme hunger and greenhouse gas emissions from food systems, Emile Frison of IPES-Food advocated for more transformative changes, stressing the need to move beyond incremental adjustments towards diversification, shorter supply chains, agroecology, and addressing power inequalities within the food industry.

Ruth Davis from the European Climate Foundation urged for a stronger emphasis on nature preservation, aligning with global agreements to protect and restore nature by 2030. She highlighted the necessity for these goals to guide the FAO's roadmap for a sustainable future in food systems.

Claire McConnell from the International Institute for Sustainable Development emphasized the importance of inclusive engagement in future iterations of the roadmap, particularly involving smallholder farmers, women, and Indigenous peoples, to incorporate their knowledge and ensure acceptance and implementation of the strategy.