Summary
This synthesis reviews the climate impact of food systems—spanning production, land-use change, supply chains and waste management—which account for over 30% of annual anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The authors identify significant inconsistencies in current emissions quantification methods and propose a harmonised accounting framework to be developed by an IPCC-aligned expert committee. The framework addresses system boundary definition, sectoral emissions allocation, critical research priorities, and mitigation impact evaluation, positioning food systems emissions standardisation as essential for coordinated global climate action and net-zero progress.
UK applicability
The proposed harmonised framework would benefit UK government and industry reporting under UK Climate Change Act obligations and corporate net-zero commitments. Integration with international policy processes (UNFCCC and UN Food Systems Summit) could align UK food systems climate accounting with global standards, improving consistency in emissions monitoring and enabling more effective domestic and supply-chain mitigation strategies.
Key measures
Greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O) as percentage of anthropogenic sources; system boundaries; sectoral emissions allocation protocols; activity data and emissions factors
Outcomes reported
The paper synthesises research on food systems' contributions to climate change and proposes a harmonised accounting framework with four key recommendations for standardising emissions quantification and reporting.
Topic tags
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