Summary
This FAO report presents a scenario-based analysis of alternative pathways for global food and agriculture systems to 2050, exploring how differing policy, technological, and governance choices may affect food security, sustainability, and resource use. It identifies tensions between meeting rising food demand and achieving environmental and social objectives, and argues that business-as-usual trajectories are insufficient to address these challenges. The report is intended to inform international policy debate and guide investment priorities across governments, multilateral institutions, and the agriculture sector.
UK applicability
Although global in scope, the report's scenario frameworks and policy recommendations are broadly applicable to UK agricultural and food policy, particularly in the context of post-Brexit agricultural reform, the UK's climate commitments, and its obligations under international food security agreements.
Key measures
Scenario projections including food demand, agricultural land use, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, biodiversity pressures, food security indicators, and population nutrition outcomes to 2050
Outcomes reported
The report examines multiple plausible scenarios for global food and agriculture systems to 2050, assessing trade-offs between food security, environmental sustainability, resource use, and socioeconomic equity. It evaluates how different policy and governance choices could shape agricultural production, diets, and land use over the coming decades.
Topic tags
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