CEBDS, together with the business sector, is committed to building sustainable solutions for the agribusiness chain, from production to the end consumer. The main source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the country and one of the most impacted by the effects of climate change, the agribusiness chain faces the enormous challenge of reconciling GHG mitigation measures with increased production and food supply for the population. Phytosanitary problems, changes in the geography of crops, extreme events such as droughts and storms, loss of pollinators and abrupt changes in the water regime are some of the practical and local effects of climate change.

Climate change represents an unprecedented challenge for governments, the private sector, academia and civil society. The report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was categorical: “unprecedented changes” are necessary to limit the average increase in global surface temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. of Resilient Food Systems, held on June 27, in São Paulo, and which brought together representatives from various links in the food production chain.

The risks to the survival of Brazilian agribusiness are alarming. In this context, which at first sounds discouraging, new initiatives seek to promote the inclusion of climate intelligence, that is, how to make the sector more resilient to climate change, in the agriculture and food sector with the aim of increasing the availability of nutritious food by 50% while reducing GHG emissions by 50%. 

What is Agroclimatic Intelligence?

Coordinated by CEBDS, Agroclimatic Intelligence (IAC) promotes crop adaptation to climate change and seeks to reduce GHG emissions, while developing resilience and increasing productivity. It is necessary to ensure nutritious food for a growing population of global markets and unsustainable habits. Therefore, it is not only necessary to increase productivity, but also to reduce post-harvest losses and waste, promote a change in habits, rethink regulatory frameworks and economic incentives, develop a production base that generates a positive environmental and social impact, and build a value chain for new bioeconomy products. Far beyond the commitment to reduce emissions in the food chain, CEBDS wants to build a strategic vision that develops greater resilience for the system. 

UN requests changes in production

With the world's population expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, a new UN report finds that the global food system must undergo urgent changes to ensure there is adequate food for everyone, without destroying the planet.

The “World Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future” reveals that meeting this challenge will require closing three gaps: a 56% “food gap” between what was produced in 2010 and the food that will be needed in 2050; a nearly 600 million-hectare “land gap” between global cropland in 2010 and expected agricultural expansion by 2050; and an 11-gigaton “greenhouse gas mitigation gap” between expected agricultural emissions in 2050 and the level needed to meet the Paris Climate Agreement.

The report was produced by the World Resources Institute in partnership with the World Bank, UN Environment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the French agricultural research agencies CIRAD and INRA. The report presents solutions to reshape the way the world produces and consumes food in order to ensure a sustainable food system by 2050.

The report calls for significant adjustments in food production, as well as changes in population consumption. The actions range from the management of wild fishing to the amount of meat to be consumed. Provides policymakers, businesses, and researchers with a comprehensive roadmap on how to create a sustainable food system from farm to fork.

“Millions of farmers, businesses, consumers and every government on the planet will have to make changes to face the global food challenge. At every level, the food system must be linked to climate strategies, as well as ecosystem protections and economic prosperity,” said Andrew Steer, president and CEO of the World Resources Institute. “While the scale of the challenge is greater than imagined, the solutions we have identified have greater potential than many realize. There is reason to be hopeful that we can achieve a sustainable future in food.”

“The opportunity to transform the food system should not be ignored. Rewarding farmers for producing more diverse and nutritious food in a much more sustainable way will help increase their income and create jobs, build healthier societies, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the recovery of essential ecosystem services,” said Laura Tuck, Vice President of Sustainable Development at the World Bank.

“Technology will be one of the keys to the future success of the food system. There is no realistic potential to create a sustainable food future without major innovations,” said Tim Searchinger, senior researcher at WRI and lead author of the report. “We need more funding for research and development and flexible regulation to encourage the private sector to innovate.”

“The call to action in this report can be summarized in three words: produce, protect and prosper. These are not competing interests,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator. “It is possible to produce more food with the same amount of agricultural land today, protect ecosystems, and do so in a way that ensures farmers and others can prosper. Creating a sustainable food future will not be easy, but it can be done.”

The new report contains the full findings underpinning the synthesis of creating a sustainable food future, which was launched in December 2018 at COP24 in Poland. Check out the full report here.