Sustainable food production

Rawlance Ndejjo
MakSPH
 • By the end of this session, students should
be able to

• Describe the impact of food production on the

environment and appreciate the need for
sustainable food production.
Session
objectives • Describe the actions that can be taken to ensure
sustainable food production.

• Discuss global targets related to sustainable

food production.
 What are the
sustainability
issues across
the elements of
food production?
 Sustainable food production - introduction
• Ensuring a sustainable supply of food for the world’s fast-
growing population is a major challenge.
• Food production will need to increase by 70% to feed the
larger, more urbanised and most likely better off population
(FAO, 2009).
• Food products will need to be ‘nutrient-dense’ to provide a
balanced diet (FAO, 2013) and more food will have to be
produced using less land.
• Water and energy for production will become limiting
factors.
• Food production is one of the key areas that requires action,
alongside issues of food consumption, food waste, improved
nutrition and food security.
Food production & sustainability in Africa

• Climate change is affecting food

production; causing droughts and
reducing yields.

• Low productivity due to damaged

crops and limited access to agricultural
value chains, are causing difficulties for
rural livelihoods and poverty.

• Rising populations are increasing

food demand.

• The growth of the middle class is

changing diets, resulting in greater
demand for meat and dairy.
 What is sustainable food
production?
• Sustainable food production is “a
method of production using
processes and systems that are
non-polluting, conserve non-
renewable energy and natural
resources, are economically
efficient, are safe for workers,
communities and consumers, and
do not compromise the needs of
future generations (Foresight 2011).
We need food
systems that
✓Satisfy human and animal
fibre needs.
✓Enhance environmental
quality and the natural
resource base.
✓Makes most efficient use of
non-renewable resources.
✓Sustain economic viability of
farm operations.
✓Enhance the quality of life
for farmers and society as a
whole.
Pillars of sustainable food production

Social (People): Ensuring food security (enough food for all) by

following practices that guarantee human access to food and
improvement of their welfare, and do not exploit workers.

Environmental (Planet): Efficient use of resources and integrated

approaches that minimise waste and negative impacts on both the
natural and physical environment.

Economic (Profit): Protecting the financial viability of farms and

supporting the longevity of their business, including the ability to re-
invest.
 Sustainability in food systems

FAO. 2014. Sustainable food value chain development – Guiding principles. Rome.
Food production & the environment
• Food production globally has a negative impact on the
environment due to:
• The production methods employed or processes involved,
• Where production takes place,
• Local availability of natural resources, such as water and soil.
• This limits capacity for sustaining production in the future.

• Food production contributes to climate change, water

scarcity, soil degradation and the destruction of biodiversity
(Foresight, 2011; Food Chain Evaluation Consortium (2014).

• Agricultural land covers 37% of the Earth’s land surface and

together the crop and livestock sectors use 70% of
freshwater resources (FAO, 2013).
 Environmental impact of food production

• It is estimated that 25% of total global greenhouse gas emissions

are directly caused by crop and animal production and forestry (FAO,
2014).

• The production of farmed animals for meat, dairy, and eggs

generates 14.5% of total emissions—a share equal to the
emissions from global transportation.

• The crop and livestock sectors use 70% of freshwater resources

and, together with forestry, occupy 60% of the Earth’s land surface
(FAO, 2013).
 Should
animal-based
diets be
banned?
In comparison to meat and dairy, plant-based foods have much
smaller carbon footprints. On average, emissions from plant-
based foods are 10 to 50 times smaller than those from animal
products

Greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram for different food groups. Adapted
from Dr Hannah Ritchie/Our World in Data (2020) Data source: Poore &
Nemecek (2018). Chart by Carbon Brief using Highcharts.
 A switch to veganism could save almost 8bn tonnes of CO2e a year by
2050, when compared to a “business-as-usual” scenario.
How much
greenhouse gases
could be stemmed
if the world were
to adopt different
diets.

Greenhouse gas savings potential from the global adoption of various

diets. Error bars show the spread of results from different studies. Data
without error bars are from one study only. Adapted from IPCC (2018).
Chart by Carbon Brief using Highcharts.
Sustainable diets

• Sustainable Diets are those diets with low environmental

impacts that contribute to food and nutrition security and to
healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets
are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems,
culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and
affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while
optimizing natural and human resources.

Burlingame, B. (2012). Sustainable diets and biodiversity – Directions and solutions for policy research and action Proceedings of
the International Scientific Symposium Biodiversity and Sustainable Diets United Against Hunger. Rome: FAO.
 Actions to make food production more sustainable (1)

• Use natural resources efficiently

• Reduce use of fossil fuels and optimise water use in production.
• Optimise land use and reduce the conversion of land for agriculture.
• Design energy and water efficient food manufacturing sites.

• Protect the quality of natural resources

• Appropriate use of fertilisers and pesticides to avoid pollution of soils and
waterways.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help maintain air quality.
• Reverse soil loss and restore organic matter content in soils.
• Increase biodiversity through farming practices that safeguard land, water
and energy resources, and wetland and forest areas.
 Actions to make food production more sustainable (2)
• Protect marine resources
• Implement sustainable fishing practices to restore fish stocks and eliminate by-catch
(the part of a catch taken incidentally) and discards (that are thrown away or
returned to sea).
• Reduce pollution of coastal areas (e.g. from fertilisers and litter).

• Procure food ingredients from sustainable sources, e.g.

• Fish products certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC works
with fisheries to promote sustainable fishing practices that ensure such fishing
activity is at a level that can continue indefinitely and the ecosystem is maintained.
• Palm oil products certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and
similar programmes. These initiatives assure that palm oil products are produced
without undue harm to the environment, such as converting rainforests to
agricultural land (deforestation). Similar initiatives exist for other commodities, such
as soybean.
 Actions to make food production more sustainable (3)
• Use environmentally efficient food packaging
• Optimise packaging use.
• Materials that have a lower environmental impact.
• Recycled materials.

• Reduce food waste

• Technical strategies, such as product reformulation to extend shelf life, and
use of functional packaging to reduce spoilage and waste of perishable
foods.
• Reduce waste sent to landfill (e.g. food recycling plants, donate excess food
to local charities, use as animal feed).
 Benefits of sustainable food production

• Agriculture is currently responsible for 26% of the yearly

Climate resilience anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions

• Improve the economic outlook for farmers and workers

Economic opportunity throughout global supply chains.

• Improve soil fertility and lessen erosion; prevent the

Environmental protection pollution of water, land, and air; and support biodiversity.

• Can result in plentiful yields, increased farmer incomes, and

Food security improvements to local environments.

• Can ensure water security as agriculture is the largest user of

Water security water resources worldwide.
Water, energy and food nexus
• Water, food and energy form a nexus at the heart of sustainable
development.

• Agriculture is the largest consumer of the world’s freshwater

resources, and water is used to produce most forms of energy.

• Demand for all three is increasing rapidly. To withstand current

and future pressures, governments must ensure integrated and
sustainable management of water, food and energy to balance
the needs of people, nature and the economy.
Water, energy and food nexus

Demand for water, food and energy is increasing. Pressure on the nexus is being
driven by a rising global population, rapid urbanization, changing diets and economic
growth. There is a significant global move away from a mainly starch-based diet to an
increasing demand for more water-intensive meat and dairy as incomes grow in many
countries.

Food production and energy are highly water intensive. Agriculture is the largest
consumer of the world’s freshwater resources, and more than one-quarter of the energy
used globally is expended on food production and supply. The vast majority of energy
generation is water intensive, such as its use in coal-fired power plants and in nuclear
reactors, and in bio-fuel crop production.

Pressure on the water-food-energy nexus threatens the Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs). As water becomes more scarce and stretched, its ability to support
progress in several of the SDGs, particularly on poverty, hunger, sustainability and the
environment, is being reduced.
Water, energy and food nexus – way forward
Governments must increase renewable energy sources. There needs to be much more
support for the development of less water-intensive renewable energy, such as hydropower
and wind. Geothermal energy has great potential as a long-term, climate independent resource
that produces little or no greenhouse gases and does not consume water.
Sustainable agriculture is critical. The integrated systems of land, soil and water are being
stretched to breaking point. Efficiency measures along the entire agrifood chain can help save
water and energy, such as precision irrigation based on information supplied by water
providers, and protection of ecosystems alongside agriculture and energy production can
ensure environmental integrity.
Ecosystems must be valued for their vital services. Governments must harness the power
of nature instead of allowing its destruction and degradation in the pursuit of food and energy.
‘Green infrastructure’, such as land dams to capture runoff in arable fields or planting forests to
protect soil and assist groundwater recharge, are some examples of creating a more
sustainable water-food-energy nexus and a ‘greener’ economy.

Integrated management of water-food-energy must be a top priority. Because of this

nexus’ crucial role in many SDGs, decision-makers in all three domains must cooperate on
water resource management, ecosystem protection and water supply and sanitation.
 WEF nexus in Kampala

• Most household-level vulnerabilities relate to

energy poverty.

• Households scale back on water treatment

practices such as boiling and the cooking of
highly-nutritious yet energy-demanding foods
such as beans in efforts to conserve charcoal.

• Emergent practices of everyday resilience-

building include the use of biomass briquettes as
an alternative to solid charcoal as well as social
networks and capital which allow households to
borrow food and energy.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378019306119?casa_token=T65pqYuLSxsAAA
AA:YdNwrW65JleZus-9vqdV_xpAqOoDUWnBa6QtnnPLuvH-iVFJO2XH4uzMCsma33fIA6VgqEmPqw
 • What are the barriers to
Discussion sustainable food production?
Food systems: from pre-production to consumption
Food waste: what is the picture?

Food waste is a huge source

of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions and wasted
natural resources, and
therefore – reducing food
waste could help to reduce
global greenhouse gas
emissions, establish food
security, and encourage
healthy food systems.
Key messages from the Food Waste Index Report 2024

https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/food-waste-index-report-2024
Tackling food loss and waste is key to achieving sustainability

• Reducing food waste brings savings for consumers and operators,

and the recovery and redistribution of surplus food that would
otherwise be wasted has an important social dimension.

• It also ties in with policies on the recovery of nutrients and

secondary raw materials, the production of feed, food safety,
biodiversity, bioeconomy, waste management and renewable
energy.

• How can we solve the planet’s food wastage problem? - BBC

 EU: Farm to fork strategy

The Farm to Fork Strategy aims to accelerate our

transition to a sustainable food system that should:
• Have a neutral or positive environmental impact
• Help to mitigate climate change and adapt to its
impacts
• Reverse the loss of biodiversity
• Ensure food security, nutrition and public health,
making sure that everyone has access to
sufficient, safe, nutritious, sustainable food
• Preserve affordability of food while generating
fairer economic returns, fostering competitiveness
of the EU supply sector and promoting fair trade

https://food.ec.europa.eu/document/download/472acca8-7f7b-4171-98b0-
ed76720d68d3_en?filename=f2f_action-plan_2020_strategy-info_en.pdf
Food systems and the SDGs
 End hunger, achieve food security and improved
nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
• 2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations,
including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round
• 2.2 By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting
and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and
lactating women and older persons
• 2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women,
indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other
productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-
farm employment
• 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that
increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate
change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
• 2.5 By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their
related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional
and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of
genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed
• 2.a Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural
research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance
agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries
 Ensure sustainable consumption and production
patterns
• 12.1 Implement the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, all
countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and
capabilities of developing countries
• 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
• 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses
along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
• 12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout
their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air,
water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
• 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
• 12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices
and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
• 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and
priorities
• 12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable
development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
• 12.a Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards
more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
 References
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2013).
Healthy people depend on healthy food systems.
• Foresight (2011). The Future of Food and Farming: Challenges and
Choices for Global Sustainability. Final Project Report. London:
Government Office for Science.
• Food Chain Evaluation Consortium (2014). Scoping study. Delivering on
EU food safety and nutrition in 2050 - Scenarios of future change and
policy responses. Brussels, Belgium: European Commission.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2014).
Building a common vision for sustainable food and agriculture: principles
and approaches. Rome, Italy: FAO.
• https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/what-is-the-climate-impact-of-eating-
meat-and-dairy/
• The Heat of Meat: Brazil’s beef industry and global warming (video)