Earth Today | Transformed food systems key to solving triple planetary crisis
Published:Thursday | July 27, 2023 | 12:09 AM
THE NEED to transform the world’s food systems has once again been given the spotlight as climate change, pollution and nature loss remain a clear and present danger, and concern over food security abounds.
Information out of the United Nations Environment Programme is that “current food systems perpetuate inequalities and fail to address rising levels of hunger and malnutrition”, while “biodiversity loss, pollution, and carbon emissions driven by our food systems are threatening the foundations upon which our food and food systems depend”.
At the same time, the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2023-2032 has reminded the public of what is at stake if the elements and activities related to producing and consuming food is not properly examined and planned for with respect of, for example, climate change.
“Pioneering efforts need to be widely adopted to ensure that agriculture contributes effectively to climate change mitigation, as set out in the Paris Agreement, especially for livestock, which is estimated to account for 80 per cent of the increase in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions,” reads a section of that report.
Greenhouse gas emissions fuel the warming of the planet and associated climate change impacts, including extreme hurricanes and droughts, which are a particular challenge for small island developing states (SIDS) over recent years. SIDS, including those of the Caribbean, are among those most vulnerable to climate change, given their small size, geographical location and struggling economies.
“At the same time, agricultural production systems face the challenge to adapt to a changing climate, including more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Mitigation and adaptation solutions include large-scale and inclusive adoption of climate-smart and carbon-neutral production processes and technologies,” the OECD-FAO report said further.
Local players from the environment sector are in agreement on the need to give attention to food systems and the requirement for significantly scaled-up efforts to ensure the sustainability of the agriculture sector, while ensuring it meets both human and environmental health needs.
“Food security is an essential consideration, [certainly] in light of climate change, which poses a significant threat,” noted Eleanor Jones, who is the principal at the consultancy firm Environmental Solutions Limited.
“We have to examine what we are planting; do more research into drought-resistant species, though we know some of that is happening; as well as pay attention to the condition of our soil. We have had experts over the years speaking about the importance of treating our soil so that it can become more productive and less dependent on chemicals. We have not done it. We have applied chemicals to try and get production, and what you do with that is destroy the soil even more,” she added.
Those experts have included Dr Adrian Spence, senior research scientist at the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences.
“I think that any discussion surrounding climate change mitigation and adaptation should involve soils, at least to some extent,” he told The Gleaner in 2021.
“Soils contain huge amounts of carbon, and this can either be a source or a sink. We have almost 30 per cent of the CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere coming from the soil. Because of this huge amount of carbon, even small changes, perturbations of that, could significantly increase CO2 concentration in the atmosphere,” Spence, a biogeochemist, added at the time.
Menwhile, Jones, also a member of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, said the way in which water is used in agriculture is also in need of adjustment.
“The whole climate-smart agriculture, sustainable agriculture, needs attention … the soil, how to really use technology to enhance productivity, the more efficient application of water,” she said.
Her comments come in the wake of the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2), which came to an end in Rome, Italy, yesterday (July 26).
Indi McLymont Lafayette, a long-time climate justice advocate and climate change communications consultant, agreed with Jones’ views.
“It is vital that countries look critically at the existing food systems and take action. For Jamaica, the prolonged drought and extreme heat signal dire fates for our farmers and their crops, so we have ramp up climate-smart agricultural methods, such as greenhouse farming, aquaponics, etc,” she noted.
As for the UNFSS+2, Mclymont Lafayatte said: “This is indeed welcome and I pray that after the stocktake there will be urgent action.”