Recipes for Change: how a sustainable food system can curb carbon emissions

The agri-food sector is a large greenhouse-gas emitter, estimated to account for 21-37% of global emissions (IPCC 2019). Previously, the sector was sidelined in climate targets and strategies due to significant difficulties in reducing sector emissions and conflict with other goals such as food security (hard-to-abate sector).

Climate change multiplies hunger. Climate shocks are among the primary drivers of rising food insecurity. The situation is exaggerated by violent conflicts as for example in Ukraine. Food systems are complex, with emissions being produced at all points along the food chain, including production, storage, transport, processing, retail, and cooking. The current food systems consume large amounts of natural resources, contribute to biodiversity loss and negative health impacts (due to both under- and over-nutrition), and do not allow fair economic returns and livelihoods for all actors, in particular for farmers. Without significant shifts in global diets, consumer’s behaviour and food production systems, it is unlikely that the world will achieve its climate and nutrition targets under the Paris Agreement and the SDGs.

With the adoption of the European Green Deal in 2019, the EU set an ambitious roadmap towards a climate-neutral circular economy, where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. The European Green Deal is underpinned by an ambitious goal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by transforming our food systems, forest, land, water and sea use, as well as energy, urban and industrial systems. It also highlights the critical importance of tackling climate change and biodiversity together. The EU Circular Economy Action Plan (2020) and the EU Farm to Fork Strategy (2020) enhance waste policy in support of waste prevention and circularity and put the European food systems on a sustainable path bringing new opportunities for operators in the food value-chain.

The event show-cased the role of circular economy approaches in curbing emissions along the food value-chain providing successful examples funded by the EU through its SWITCH regional programmes in Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean. It provided visibility to the implementation of the external dimension of the EU “From Farm to Fork Strategy” and the “EU Circular Economy Action Plan.”

The specific objectives of the event were to highlight circular economy and other policy approaches that accelerate the transition of the agri-food value-chain to a low-carbon industry in partner countries; showcase examples of low-carbon agri-food enterprises (notably SMEs) supported by the EU SWITCH regional programmes and to engage youth and the general public by promoting of low-carbon nutrition and lifestyles.

Unable to attend the event? Watch a video of the proceedings here: