Transforming the Global Food System Could Help Curb Rising Temperatures

A recent study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) has found that the global food system will have an extremely important role in limiting climate change.

The study was published in the journal Nature Food. The researchers found that with significant changes to the way we produce and consume food, they expect that we will be able to keep the global average temperature from rising above the 1.85°C above pre-industrial levels as compared to the global average temperature from the year 2050 down to approximately 1.85 °C above pre-industrial levels. Not only will there be positive impacts on climate change, but the new food system will also produce food that will be much healthier for people and provide a greater variety of foods at a lower price, while supporting agriculture as a sustainable activity that contributes positively to the conservation of plant and animal species.

Research conducted for this study evaluated three possible future scenarios. The first scenario follows the "SSP2" scenario based on the current trends; the second scenario looks at a rapid transformation of the food system; and the third adds additional sustainable changes to the global economy in conjunction with the rapid transformation of the food system.

Researchers utilized the PIK MAgPIE agri-food system model to assess and evaluate the potential impact of each of the three scenarios on GHG emissions, public health risks, environmental impacts, inequality of income distribution, and economic output.

A system with wide-reaching impact
“Our study highlights the enormous importance of the food system,” said Benjamin Bodirsky, PIK researcher and lead author of the study. Major reforms to the food system can lead to reduced nitrogen pollution, reduced poverty levels, and increased average life expectancy worldwide. When major reforms to the food system are implemented with wider sustainability changes beyond agriculture, the majority of research indicates that the chances of limiting global warming to 2°C would be 91 percent and the chances of keeping temperatures below 1.5°C would be 38 percent.

Alexander Popp, head of the PIK Land Use Transition Lab (POL) and co-author of the PIK report, said that protecting biodiversity is another significant benefit of transforming the global food system. He stated that by incorporating measures such as protecting biodiversity hotspots, shifting toward plant-based diets, diversifying crop rotations, and improving landscape structure, there will be major reductions of pressures on ecosystems.

In conclusion, the studies indicate that rethinking the global food system can provide multiple strong climate, health, and environmental benefits; therefore, food systems are a central element to combatting/climate crisis.