- In bottom-up communications it is not easy to convey the importance of messages and activate political machinery. We often feel that our messages "get in and out of an ear." Therefore, today we bring what some prestigious international researchers say in an international committee. Hopefully, politicians will take these high-level researchers into account, and maybe this will trigger strategies that will lead to the necessary transitions.
We are not very followers of academic “popes” (definition of Pope: Person with power and influence in a field, in general in professional activity), because our work is based on the capacity of local projects and subjects. This is the basis of agroecology, promoting local Ecological Food Systems, empowering local societies, cultures and economies while taking care of the environment.
But those of us who are talking about small scales have a disadvantage: it is very difficult to put pressure on public policies, if not all of us tackle factual powers together, our message is not being addressed.
That is why in this article we will modify the strategy. Far from providing our point of view, it brings us to the voices of the most important international scholars of the moment in food systems and climate. Among these popes is Johan Rock Ström, a pioneer of the study on global borders, who has clearly stated that the Food System is the key to tackling the current climate crisis. We do not say that, says Johan!
Mr. RocStröm is also a member of the Independent Academic Committee of the Food System. This international committee provides tools and evidence to political and economic decision-makers to make healthy, inclusive and sustainable decisions with the environment and the Food System. The Commission published the Economics of the Food System Transformation report in January this year. Key message that the transformation of food systems is urgent, possible and offers significant economic benefits. Touché!
As they have explained, the "breakthroughs" in Food Systems have led, and continue to impact, to some of the greatest and most serious challenges facing humanity, such as hunger, malnutrition, the obesity epidemic, biodiversity loss, environmental damage and climate change. The economic value of this global human suffering and damage is recorded in the trillions, which is higher than the contribution of Food Systems to global GDP. The "hidden food costs" are shown below. On the website of this Commission there is an active counter that accounts for hidden economic costs after 2016. Well, until April 2024, the Industrial Food System has caused hidden costs for negative external effects of $123 trillion. These expenses are paid by all of us, citizens (and not agro-industry entrepreneurs), through our taxes and we commit our welfare services.
The report clearly indicates that if current trends continue, and so it seems, the World Food System and its unsustainable trajectory will remain responsible for one third of the global emissions of the future. These emissions will allow an increase in the global average temperature of 2.7°C at the end of this century compared to the pre-industrial situation.
Do you remember the 2015 Paris Agreement, and how, if there were any opportunity to deal with climate change, we would have to reach a maximum increase of 1.5°C ... That’s what…
Yes, we know that nothing that has been said in this article is new, we have talked about this also in previous articles... but perhaps, who knows... If all these international academic Popes and Johan Rock Ström say that our politicians will listen to these Popes and then they will take real steps for the change we need.