Changes to Global Food System Could Help Limit Global Temperature Rise
A ‘decisive transformation’ of the food sector could contribute to limiting global warming, a new study led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) has found.
According to the study, which was published in the Nature Food journal, changes to the food sector could help to limit the global temperature increase to 1.85°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050, while also making food ‘healthier and cheaper’, and agriculture more aligned with biodiversity conservation.
The study is based on three possible pathways – the standard ‘SSP2’ scenario commonly used to model the continuation of current trends; a scenario of rapid transformation in the food system; and an expanded scenario with greater sustainability in other economic sectors as well.
Using PIK’s MAgPIE agri-food system model, the researchers assessed the impact of all three scenarios on greenhouse gas emissions, health risks, environmental pressures, income distribution and economic output.