25 May 2016: The latest report from the International Resource Panel (IRP) stresses that an overhaul of the global food system is urgently needed if the world is to combat hunger, use natural resources more efficiently and stem environmental damage. It identifies 12 ways to enable such achievements. The IRP (a consortium of 34 international scientists, 30 national governments and other groups hosted by the UN Environment Programme – UNEP), explains that current food systems are inefficient and unsustainable, and that they are responsible for: 60% of global terrestrial biodiversity loss; 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions; the over-fishing of 29% of commercial fish populations; and the over-exploitation of 20% of the world’s aquifers.

To combat these problems, the report, titled ‘Food Systems and Natural Resources,’ proposes adopting a “resource-smart” food system that adheres to three principles: low environmental impacts, the sustainable use of renewable resources and the efficient use of all resources. It also recommends removing harmful subsidies, such as fossil fuel subsidies, that encourage unsustainable production and practices.

The list of 12 key recommendations for governments, private companies, civil society and citizens includes: reducing food loss and waste; moving away from resource-intensive products such as meat, ’empty calories’ and highly processed food; connecting rural and urban centers, especially in developing regions, where urban actors (e.g. supermarkets) could invest in regional supply chains and improve the position of smallholders; connecting urban consumers with how their food is produced and how it reaches their plates, informing them about both the health and environmental consequences of dietary choices; protecting peri-urban zones around cities and using them for local food production; and decoupling food production from resource use and environmental impacts, and replacing certain inputs (such as pesticides) with ecosystem services.

The report further notes that, globally, the consumption of chicken and dairy are expected to increase by 20%, and the consumption of pork and beef by 14% over the next 10 years. Explaining that the high consumption of animal-based products and highly processed foods is responsible for triggering “disproportionate” environmental costs while undermining public health due to obesity-related disease, the IRP proposes a list of options that, combined in various ways, could lead to resource efficiency gains of up to 30% for certain resources and impacts.

Some of these options include: “sustainable intensification” of crop production, implying higher yields without increasing environmental impacts; better feed conversion and higher productivity of pastoral systems; higher nutrient efficiency along the food chain; better recycling of minerals in animal manure and use of by-products or food waste as feed or compost; more efficient aquaculture systems, with lower nutrient losses and less impact on coastal systems; and the reduction of over-consumption and change of unhealthy dietary patterns, by shifting in affluent societies, from animal-based to more plant-based diets. [UNEP Press Release] [Food Systems and Natural Resources]