CUTTING

GREENHOUSE
GASES FROM
FOOD
PRODUCTION
IS URGENT,
SCIENTISTS
SAY
Efforts to limit global
warming often focus on
emissions from fossil
fuels, but food is
crucial, too, according
to new research.

R
ising greenhouse gas They did, however, say that meeting one
emissions from of the targets, limiting overall warming
worldwide food this century to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or
production will make it about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, could be
extremely difficult to accomplished over the next several
limit global warming to decades through "rapid and ambitious"
the targets set in the changes to the global food system, such
Paris climate as adopting plant-rich diets, increasing
agreement, even if crop yields, and reducing food waste.
emissions from fossil-
fuel burning were "There is no single silver bullet that will
halted immediately, get us to the 1.5-degree Celsius target,"
scientists reported said Michael Clark, a researcher at the
Thursday. Nuffield Department of Population Health
at the University of Oxford in England
and the lead author of the new study, an
analysis of the climate effects of global
food production published in the journal
Science. "However, all of them will."
By Henry Fountain
PUBLISHED NOV. 5, 2020UPDATED OCT. 26, 2021
Dr. Clark said it would be simpler to reach
the 2-degree Celsius goal. However, he
continued, the analysis in both scenarios
is predicated on attaining "net zero"
emissions from the use of fossil fuels for
electricity, transportation, and industry
right away. Although nations have made
commitments to eliminate them, present
fossil fuel emissions are far from zero, and
if they are taken into account, "any food
transition definitely needs to be larger and
faster," the expert added.
Food production accounts for about 20
percent of global greenhouse gas
emissions, or about 30 percent of total
global emissions, according to the United
Nations. Food production results in
emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and
other planet-warming gases in many
ways, including land clearing and
deforestation for agriculture and livestock
grazing.
NEW YORK TIMES 1
While the world tends to
focus on reducing
emissions from fossil-fuel
burning, the new study
shows cutting emissions
from food is crucial, too, the
researchers said. “Food
systems are sort of the dark
horse of climate change,”
said Jason Hill, senior
author of the paper and a
professor at the University
of Minnesota.

The researchers predicted

how emissions will alter as
the global population
expands, dietary habits and
consumption patterns shift
as certain nations become
more wealthy, and
agricultural yields rise in the
ensuing decades.
Researchers at the
University of Bristol found
that the world would
approach the 1.5 degree
Celsius limit due to food-
related carbon emissions
alone in 30 to 40 years.

Scientists say that without a reduction of consumption of red meat and some other foods,
emissions from food production would double by 2050. Brent Loken, the global lead food
scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, who was not involved in the research, said the study was
“one more piece of evidence that supports what many people are saying,” that climate goals
cannot be reached without changes in the food system.

Dr. Clark expressed optimism that dietary changes and other changes in the food system could
be implemented in time to have an impact on global warming. He and others are currently
determining what policies and behavioral changes could be implemented.

By Henry Fountain
NEW YORK TIMES 2
PUBLISHED NOV. 5, 2020UPDATED OCT. 26, 2021