- The World Bank suggests wealthy nations should cut financial support for livestock farming to combat pollution from red meat and dairy consumption.
- Shifting subsidies from the livestock sector towards lower-emissions foods like poultry, fruit, and vegetables could help reduce food’s climate footprint.
- Bill Sutton, a lead author of the report, emphasizes the need for more effective use of public support for agriculture that promotes healthier diets and a healthier planet.
The World Bank urges rich countries to curb livestock farming subsidies to mitigate environmental impact and promote healthier diets, according to a recent report.
World Bank’s Call for Shift in Agricultural Support
The World Bank, in a significant report, has called upon affluent nations to reduce their financial backing for livestock farming. This move is aimed at addressing the pollution caused by the consumption of red meat and dairy products. The bank suggests that ensuring environmental and health costs are fully priced into emissions-intensive foods made from animals could curb consumer demand for these products. The proposed strategy involves redirecting subsidies from the livestock sector towards lower-emissions foods like poultry, fruit, and vegetables.
Effective Use of Public Support for Agriculture
Bill Sutton, a lead author of the report, clarified that the recommendation is not about reducing public support for agriculture. Instead, it is about using it more effectively to contribute to healthier diets and a healthier planet. He highlighted that food systems are responsible for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock being a major contributor. The report warns that unless the climate impact of food is addressed, the planet won’t meet its environmental goals.
Investment Needs and Potential Rewards
The report estimates that annual investments will need to increase 18-fold to $260 billion to halve agri-food emissions by 2030 and help the world achieve a 2050 net-zero target. However, it emphasizes that the rewards will far outweigh the cost. The World Bank also suggests that governments, businesses, and citizens can expand low-emission food options through various measures including education, communication campaigns, ‘nudging’ techniques, and food labeling.
Conclusion
The World Bank report, which involved dozens of contributors from various organizations, provides the first comprehensive framework for addressing food’s climate footprint. The authors stress that the food system must be fixed as it is a significant contributor to climate change and is harming the planet. They argue that there are readily available and affordable actions that can be taken now to make agri-food a bigger contributor to overcoming climate change and healing the planet.
