Agricultural productivity has risen greatly since the middle of the last century—but the costs that our modern food system imposes on our environment are becoming clearer.
So are two major solutions: reducing food waste + shifting away from conventional animal proteins. A new Financial Times piece looks at the data: https://on.ft.com/3sBIqpL
Cutting meat and dairy intake, particularly in nations with the highest consumption rates, would free up a massive amount of land for rewilding, renewable energy production, sustainable farming, and more.
A large-scale shift to plant-based eating would also drastically cut emissions associated with food production. But as this Financial Times points out: eating habits are hard to change. That's why we need to invest in developing alternative proteins — made from plants, cultivated from cells, and produced via fermentation — that taste the same or better and cost and same or less as their conventional counterparts.
Governments can and should accelerate progress, advancing sustainable proteins in support of a safe climate, resilient food supply chains, and abundant biodiversity. That's the case we're excited to make in front of a global audience at #COP27 in November! Stay tuned for more on our work at COP27 and the Food Systems Pavillion.
