A 1% solution to reduce food's footprint

The author proposes a 1% environmental service payment on all food exports to address the gap between market prices and the actual environmental and social costs of food production. This funding would be managed by exporting and consuming countries to support less-efficient producers in reducing impacts such as deforestation and soil degradation, thereby increasing the sustainability and resilience of the global food system.

• The author argues that current food market prices fail to account for social and environmental externalities, including deforestation, soil erosion, poor livelihoods for workers, and malnutrition, which are effectively subsidized by producers, countries, or the planet.
• The proposed "1% Solution" involves adding a 1% environmental service payment to all food exports, regardless of the supply chain or destination, to generate dedicated funds for environmental rehabilitation and sustainability.
• Based on 2022 data for five specific commodities (beef, hides, corn, cotton, and soy), the 1% Solution would have generated $780 million for the United States and $550 million for Brazil.
• The mechanism would function by collecting fees based on the free on board (FOB) price, placing funds into a common fund managed by exporting and consuming countries, and prioritizing support for less-efficient producers to help them reduce critical impacts and maintain market access.
• The proposal draws on existing precedents such as the US domestic check-off program for commodity sales and export fees on coffee and sugar in Brazil, as well as similar mechanisms for seafood like lobster or swimming crab.

APA

Clay, J. (2024). A 1% solution to reduce food's footprint. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/a-1-solution-to-reduce-foods-footprint/

Chicago

Clay, Jason. A 1% solution to reduce food's footprint. WWF International, 2024. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/a-1-solution-to-reduce-foods-footprint/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Clay |first1=Jason |title=A 1% solution to reduce food's footprint |publisher=WWF International |date=9 January 2024 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/a-1-solution-to-reduce-foods-footprint/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clay2024solution, author = {Clay, Jason}, title = {{A 1\% solution to reduce food's footprint}}, publisher = {WWF International}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/a-1-solution-to-reduce-foods-footprint/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }