The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a global group of scientists, authorised by the United Nations to study changes because of shifting climate in its report has concluded that cutting emissions from major polluters like factories and power plants won’t be enough to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius. Land use and food systems have to change, too. The way the world manages land produces and eats food has to change to curb global warming or food security, health and biodiversity will be at risk, a U.N. report on the effects of climate change on land said.
The report, prepared by more than 100 experts from 52 countries and released in summary form in Geneva, found that the window to address the threat is closing rapidly. A half-billion people already live in places turning into desert and soil is being lost between 10 and 100 times faster than it is forming, according to the report. The scientists emphasize the need to manage land better if we want it to stay productive under increasingly harsh conditions. That means dramatically shifting the way we think about soil health, managing fertilizer inputs, water usage, and handling manure from livestock. They also recommend diversifying cropland, reducing food waste and transitioning to vegetarian or vegan diets. This will enhance the process of achieving the Sustainable Development (SDG) goals by 2030, it added.
Dietary changes, featuring plant-based foods and sustainable animal-sourced food, could free up several million square kilometres of land by 2050 and potentially cut 0.7-8.0 gigatonnes a year of carbon dioxide equivalent, said IPCC. This is the second of three IPCC reports commissioned by world leaders under the Paris climate agreement. The first report was released in 2018.
The latest report also warned of more disruption to global food chains as extreme weather events become even more frequent due to climate change. It projects a median increase of 7.6% in cereal prices by 2050, leading to higher food prices and the increased risk of food insecurity and hunger.
