Search Climate Insights Directory
310 results
The role of agroecology in building more resilient and fair food systems
The document argues that agroecology, a science-based set of practices and social movement, offers a sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture, which accounts for up to 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights that approximately 30% of global farms have already adopted agroecological principles, leading to increased crop yields, higher farmer incomes, and improved biodiversity. However, the briefing notes that scaling up these practices is hindered by governance and finance systems that heavily subsidize industrial agriculture, with only 1%-1.5% of agricultural and aid budgets currently supporting agroecological approaches. To overcome these barriers, the document recommends reorienting public funding, integrating agroecology into research and education, and increasing the participation of small-scale producers in food governance.
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Document type: Briefing
10 PRIORITIES FOR THE FARM TO FORK INI REPORT
The document advocates for a transition from an industrial food system to one based on agroecology and rights-based governance. It calls for the European Parliament to endorse the Farm to Fork Strategy's targets, make them legally binding, and align the Common Agricultural Policy with the European Green Deal. Key recommendations include reducing pesticide and fertiliser use, cutting livestock numbers, regulating new GMOs, improving animal welfare, and ensuring a socially just transition for food workers and global south partners.
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Document type: Statement
Open letter to the European Commission, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the European Parliament’s rapporteurs on the CAP regulations calling for ambition in trilogues for a green and fair reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
A coalition of food, farming, and environmental organisations calls for a fundamental reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The letter argues that the current unsustainable food system contributes to climate breakdown and biodiversity collapse, threatening the survival of farmers. The coalition proposes five overarching priorities for the post-2022 CAP: integrating Green Deal targets into national Strategic Plans, implementing the 'do no harm' principle, supporting sustainable farming practices, regulating markets to limit overproduction, and ensuring governance through transparency and accountability.
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Document type: Statement
COVID-19 and Planetary Health: How a Pandemic Could Pave the Way for a Green Recovery
The policy brief examines the critical link between environmental degradation and human health, framing the COVID-19 pandemic as a consequence of neglecting these interconnections. It argues that a 'green recovery' requires breaking down policy silos between health and environment ministries and integrating health co-benefits into climate and biodiversity finance. The document highlights the high economic and human costs of pollution, zoonotic diseases, and inefficient food systems, proposing a transdisciplinary 'planetary health' framework to guide sustainable development and safeguard against future global health crises.
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Document type: Policy brief
How Could Trade Policy Better Address Food System Shocks?
The report analyzes three types of food system shocks—the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2015–2016 Southern African drought, and the US-China trade war—to argue that existing WTO rules are insufficient to prevent harmful trade measures during crises. It highlights how climate change will increase the frequency of extreme weather events, further destabilizing food markets. The authors propose 13 recommendations centered on four objectives: ensuring food access for the poor, safeguarding farmer livelihoods, improving market functions through sustainable resource allocation, and restoring multilateral trust. Key proposals include banning export restrictions on humanitarian aid, cutting high tariff peaks, and establishing a special safeguard mechanism for low-income countries.
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Document type: Report
STOP SPILLOVER AT THE SOURCE
The report argues that preventing future pandemics requires a systems-based approach to stop zoonotic spillover at its source. It identifies the 'wildlife value chain'—from tropical deforestation frontiers to urban markets—as the primary driver of risk, where human, livestock, and wildlife interactions facilitate pathogen mutation and transmission. The framework proposes a 'Planetary Health Agenda' that integrates conservation, public health, and sustainable food systems, with specific action plans for Southeast Asia, Central Africa, and South America to mitigate both current and emerging risks.
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Document type: Report
Visual Representations of Food Systems: What do we see?
The IISD reviewed 32 food system visualizations (FSVs) from 1998 to 2020, finding that most are explanatory tools designed to illustrate the complexity of food systems by linking production, external drivers, and outcomes. While most FSVs focus on agricultural production and value chains, policy and governance are typically listed as influencing factors rather than primary subjects. The review found that just under one-fifth of the FSVs cover all four targets of SDG 2 (zero hunger), and only 16% specifically address food system resilience.
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Document type: Report
Covid-19 Dashboard: Rebuild with Nature
The report argues that nature is central to both the emergence of and recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. It proposes a sustainability dashboard focused on the planetary boundaries of climate and nature loss, identifying the transformation of the global food system as a primary priority to strengthen planetary resilience against future pandemics.
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Document type: Report
SPOTLIGHT on Sustainable Development 2021
The report analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in health, wealth, and power, specifically highlighting 'vaccine apartheid' and the failure of multi-stakeholder governance. It critiques the reliance on private sector solutions for public crises and advocates for transformative policies, including the waiver of intellectual property rights for vaccines, progressive tax reforms, and the strengthening of universal public services to ensure a just recovery.
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Document type: Report
Visual Representations of Food Systems: What do we see?
The document is a reference list of visual representations of food systems, citing figures from academic journals, international organizations, and institutional reports.
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Document type: Fact sheet
From Silos to Systems: Investing in Sustainable Nutrition Science for a Healthy Future
The document provides the technical appendix for a study on federal investments in sustainable nutrition science. It describes the use of the NIH Federal RePORTER database to identify projects that simultaneously address food production, human nutrition, and environmental or climate impacts. The analysis identified 53 unique projects meeting these criteria, with reported funding totaling $41.1 million over the 2016–2019 period. It also catalogues federal recommendations from 2010 to 2021 urging a shift toward interdisciplinary, systems-based research to integrate sustainability into nutrition policy and food systems.
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Document type: Report
WWF Priority Actions for the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress
The document advocates for the US to lead global efforts in nature conservation and climate action. Key priorities include doubling investments in biodiversity programs, reducing US emissions by 50% by 2030, and protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030. It also emphasizes pandemic prevention through the 'One Health' approach, combating illegal trade in wildlife and timber, and addressing plastic pollution through a binding international treaty.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Earthjustice Statement on Biden’s Pick for Agriculture Secretary
Earthjustice calls on nominee Tom Vilsack to prioritize a sustainable food system, climate change mitigation, and the restoration of protections for the Tongass National Forest.
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Document type: Statement
Responsible Investments in Agriculture and Food Systems
The document is a practical handbook designed to help parliamentarians and their advisors promote responsible investments in agriculture and food systems to ensure social, economic, cultural, and environmental benefits.
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Document type: Guide
Nexus between food security and trade in the run-up to the World Food Systems Summit
The document analyzes the conflict between trade liberalisation, supported by developed nations, and food sovereignty, advocated by developing nations. It argues that while trade can increase food availability, it often sidelines smallholder farmers and creates dependencies. The author recommends that the G20 synchronise domestic policies and implement the 2008 L’Aquila Food Security Initiative (AFSI) to support local food systems. For the UN World Food Systems Summit, the brief suggests creating a framework for private sector participation and transforming food systems to be more inclusive and sustainable, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 and the US-China trade war.
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Document type: Policy brief
Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles: hacia una recuperación justa y resiliente en México
The document argues that Mexico's food systems can drive a just recovery by integrating sustainable practices in the primary sector, shortening distribution chains, and improving public nutrition. It highlights the vulnerability of the sector to the climate crisis and the exacerbation of food insecurity and malnutrition caused by the pandemic. Key recommendations include reorienting agricultural subsidies toward crop diversification, implementing sustainability certifications for exporters, supporting small and medium producers with organic fertilizers and digital commerce, and aligning public food procurement with nutritional health standards.
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Document type: Policy brief
Eating for our planet
The document advocates for a shift toward 'planet-based diets' to reduce the environmental footprint of the global food system, which is identified as a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions and habitat loss. It outlines five strategies for individuals: choosing sustainable ingredients, balancing animal protein intake with plant-based foods, diversifying crop and nutrient intake, prioritizing minimally processed foods, and reducing food waste. The guide emphasizes that these dietary shifts should be flexible to accommodate local cultures, budgets, and nutritional needs.
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Document type: Guide
Open letter to the President of the European Commission, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament calling for full alignment of the reformed Common Agricultural Policy with the European Green Deal
A coalition of food, farming, climate, and health organisations calls for a paradigm shift in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to support agroecology and sustainable food systems. The authors argue that the CAP must be reformed to integrate Green Deal targets, eliminate subsidies for harmful practices like intensive animal production, and provide financial incentives for farmers to reduce pesticide use and restore ecosystems.
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Document type: Statement
Embedding ambitious climate action at the heart of economic recovery
The We Mean Business Coalition argues that integrating climate ambition into economic recovery is a strategic necessity for long-term growth and resilience. The statement highlights that green recovery measures are more effective at creating jobs and increasing GDP than traditional stimulus. It calls for specific policy actions, including the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, mandatory TCFD-aligned financial disclosures, and the requirement that companies receiving public financial assistance adopt science-based targets consistent with a 1.5°C warming limit.
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Document type: Statement
Exploring Gender Differences in the American Diet
The document examines the relationship between gender and climate-related food choices in the US, finding that women generally have higher risk perceptions and a greater willingness to adopt plant-based diets and reduce food waste than men, though they also report more uncertainty regarding specific dietary impacts on global warming.
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Document type: Research paper