Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets

Summary

This Science paper presents a global quantification of food system emissions and demonstrates that without substantial changes to production and consumption patterns, food system greenhouse gas output alone would consume a large fraction of the remaining carbon budget compatible with 1.5°C and 2°C climate targets. The work suggests that achieving climate goals requires concurrent transformation of agricultural practices, dietary patterns, and food waste reduction across all major producing and consuming regions.

UK applicability

The findings are directly relevant to UK climate policy and the Committee on Climate Change's advice on food system decarbonisation. The UK's contribution to global food emissions through both domestic production and imported foodstuffs means these results inform national net-zero strategies and food security planning.

Key measures

Food system greenhouse gas emissions (likely in gigatonnes CO₂ equivalent); proportion of remaining carbon budget allocated to food production; emissions by commodity and production stage

Outcomes reported

The study quantified total greenhouse gas emissions from the global food system and assessed their compatibility with climate change mitigation pathways limiting warming to 1.5°C and 2°C. It likely modelled emissions across production, processing, transport and retail stages to determine whether food system decarbonisation alone could meet Paris Agreement targets.

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