Food system emissions: a review of trends, drivers, and policy approaches, 1990-2018

The food system, spanning from pre-production processes to post-production stages, is responsible for about one third of global greenhouse gas emissions and requires significant mitigation efforts to prevent dangerous levels of global warming. This article summarises trends and drivers of global food system emissions from 1990 to 2018. We highlight regional diversity in patterns of food system emissions and identify the highest global emitters. While food system emissions have stabilised in some regions and countries, global emissions are increasing, with growth in certain sectors and countries outweighing the handful of cases where sustained emissions reductions have been realised. Emissions from livestock rearing account for a large portion of global emissions, and the contribution of post-production emissions is steadily increasing in all regions. We also provide an overview of food system policies at the national level, mapping them to each emissions segment. This highlights the significant shortfall in policy activity required to address the challenge of climate change mitigation in general, and the impacts of livestock and post-production emissions in particular. Our work lays the groundwork for addressing specific country-level questions on optimal policy pathways to achieve emission reductions.

Automated summary

The food system plays a significant role in global greenhouse gas emissions and requires mitigation efforts to prevent dangerous global warming. This article summarizes the trends and drivers of food system emissions from 1990 to 2018, highlighting regional diversity and the highest global emitters. While some regions have seen stabilized emissions, global emissions continue to increase due to certain sectors and countries outweighing emissions reductions. Livestock rearing is a major contributor to global emissions, and post-production emissions are steadily increasing in all regions. The article also emphasizes the insufficient policy activity to address climate change mitigation and the specific impact of livestock and post-production emissions. The research lays the groundwork for country-level inquiries into optimal policy pathways for emission reductions.