Food For The Planet: 5 Takeaways From 2022
Food fast and disappointment at COP27
A sustainable diet is defined by the United Nations as “a diet with a low environmental impact that contributes to food and nutrition security and healthy living for present and future generations”. Research suggests that 20-30% of our environmental impact in Europe and the UK comes from our diet, including impacts from food production, processing and retail. It is also widely accepted that consumption of meat and animal products usually has a greater environmental impact than plant products.
The first-ever Food Systems Pavilion was a success at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh. It was an opportunity to spread this message of building sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems. Organizations, institutions and advocates for change expressed concern about the provision of equitable and healthy food systems.
Tom Benton Chatham House “COP27 will continue to focus firmly on supply-side solutions to address food insecurity and ensure nutritious and sustainable diets for all, a politically more controversial issue. We have avoided the demand-side problems that are plunging.” WWF agrees, noting that the Koronivia collaboration on agriculture still has a limited focus on agricultural production.
There is little agreement on the importance of transforming food systems to prevent the most severe impacts of climate change. Addressing climate change requires a systematic and integrated approach to food.
Paying carbon offsets to farmers
Indigo Ag, the world’s largest AgTech startup, announced it has paid over $3.7 million to 450 farmers in 30 US states to produce carbon offsets in the 2021 harvest year. Payments were made to farmers registered with Carbon by Indigo. The program helps growers adopt sustainable practices such as cover cropping and no-tillage that capture CO2 into the soil and capture emissions. His second annual carbon farming payment for Indigo is more than three times his amount given to farmers in the first payment.
Farmers receive 75% of the average purchaser price for each carbon credit. Indigo will adjust payments annually to reflect rising carbon prices through additional payments to producers who produced credits at lower costs in the previous season. Indigo’s credit price has risen from $20 to $40 in two years, and the company expects it to continue rising as global demand surges. Indigo is the first company in history to issue agricultural carbon credits on a large scale (around 20,000 credits issued in 2021), with a second credit issuance planned for early 2023, surpassing the first number. The goal is to break.
Certification criteria for sustainably growing crops
Millions of people are reducing their meat and dairy intake. More consumers than ever before are turning to plant-based alternatives for reasons ranging from personal health concerns, to the climate crisis, to animal cruelty and more. . Many new plant-based foods are hitting grocery shelves, but inaccurate or inconsistent product labels make it difficult for consumers to tell how healthy many of these new products are. Consumers want food that is good for people and the planet, but some companies have made hopeful climate and environmental initiatives that have been decades ineffective. , is functionally meaningless.
Bringing clarity and truth to the market is essential for plant-based foods. Consumers of plant-based products need a reliable way to know what they’re buying and eating, and companies need a way to back up their claims and differentiate their products from the competition. Therefore, in December 2022, SCS issued a certification for version 3.0. Criteria for sustainably grown crops.
It is a comprehensive framework, a set of common requirements grouped into three categories: business integrity, sustainable agricultural practices and ethical management. Sustainably Grown is a detailed framework that applies to agricultural businesses large and small around the world, providing a roadmap for meeting emerging markets for environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
By choosing an independent evaluation by a neutral third party, we can use the simple claim of ‘sustainably grown’ to appeal to buyers and consumers. Third-party certification based on this internationally recognized standard helps producers provide a safe and healthy working environment, support farm workers and communities, and reduce energy consumption while maintaining clean air, clean It ensures that we are working diligently to protect important environmental resources such as water, wildlife habitat and more. , carbon emissions, and waste.
Another significant advancement is the recognition of “Trailblazers” in key performance categories. This means that producers can further their commitment to sustainability and meet additional requirements that allow him to achieve approval under one or more of the following leading edge her Trailblazer categories. You can choose. biodiversity champion.
Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lists the U.S. Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Dietary Needs. The USDA reimagines federal food and agriculture programs from an Indigenous perspective and partners with tribal service organizations in these projects to inform future her USDA programs and policies.
“USDA is committed to empowering tribal self-determination and bringing indigenous perspectives to agriculture, food and nutrition,” said Vilsack. “These new videos, publications and guides support Indian Country and educate the wider farming community.”
The new resource will increase awareness of Indigenous and Indigenous foods among USDA and tribal youth, communities, and indigenous agricultural producers. User’s manuals for interested ranchers, local seed storage hubs, wild and indigenous plant foraging videos, recipes, cooking videos, and more. A short-form digital media series using indigenous foods to engage indigenous youth in food sovereignty and gardening, traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous peoples, and humane handling and harvesting of bison in the field. best practices handbook and more.
Food Donation Improvement Act
In a rare bipartisan accomplishment, the Food Donation Improvement Act passed both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and is now on the desk of President Biden for final approval. Take an important step towards ending it and help make a dent in hunger. FDIA builds on existing protections to help businesses, manufacturers, retailers, farmers and restaurants donate millions of tons of surplus food. The legislation was supported by a coalition including the Harvard Law School Food Law Policy Clinic, WeightWatchers International, Food Recovery Network, Bread For The World, NRDC, Healthy Living Coalition, and many organizations and individuals.
US Congressman Jim McGovern, who opposes hunger, urged his colleagues to support the bill. “Hunger is inevitable,” he said. “There is no shortage of food. We have a mismatch between abundance and need — a mismatch that can be resolved by passing this common-sense, bipartisan bill.”
The climate crisis exacerbates hunger and malnutrition by threatening crop nutritional quality and crop productivity. According to Food Tank’s Danielle Nierenberg, advocating for policy change is key to transforming the food system, and that this type of law “will help solve hunger, support farmers, protect workers and the planet.” Simply put, Nirenberg says, this bill will change how the hard and necessary work of systemic transformation in food and agriculture can be done for the benefit of all. pointing out.
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