Food Systems and Planetary Goals: Two Inseparable Policy Agendas

The Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition has published a new policy brief, Food systems and planetary goals: two inseparable policy agendas. It presents evidence to show how food systems have no viable future without delivering on climate change and planetary goals, but conversely how these policy agendas cannot be realised without addressing the unsustainable food systems that continue to damage planetary and human health.

Focusing on low- and middle-income countries, the brief reviews recent policy developments, recognising some welcome steps, but overall painting a picture which falls far short of what is required.

The brief argues that, in addition to their role in addressing climate change, food systems must become more sustainable and operate within a set of at least eight planetary boundaries: biodiversity loss, land use change, freshwater use, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone, global phosphorus and nitrogen cycles, chemical pollution, and atmospheric aerosol loading (i.e. the 1.5+ agenda).

It presents a range of recommendations for policymakers and emphasises the substantial opportunity to make progress at a series of international events and COPs.