Sustainable Diets: Will the First Global Declaration on Food-Related Emissions Work?
- Media Manager
- Dec 13, 2023
- 1 min read
Earth.org
Written By: Katarina Ruhland
Published: December 13th, 2023
The first global declaration on curbing emissions from food production agreed during week one of COP28 is a start, say researchers. However, one must acknowledge that the declaration avoids addressing some of the most contentious issues in the realm of emissions reduction.
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More than 130 countries have signed the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, a declaration pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from processes related to producing and consuming food. These countries represent 5.7 billion people and 75% of all emissions from global food production and consumption, according to this year’s host, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The agreement marks a historic moment in the nearly three-decade history of climate summits, as it is the first time that the importance of food systems is formally recognised.
Food production and consumption contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions, constituting approximately one-third of the global emissions, with meat and dairy accounting for emissions but providing just 18% of the world’s calories. Meat and dairy production are also leading causes of other environmental ills, including deforestation, pandemic risk, and water pollution. Plant-based foods typically have a much smaller carbon footprint, and require far less land and water.
