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International Day for biological diversity: celebrate by protecting biodiversity, not promoting tourism
Friends of the Earth International criticizes the UN Convention on Biodiversity for promoting tourism as a tool for biodiversity conservation. The statement argues that mainstream tourism leads to the eviction of indigenous peoples, destruction of ecosystems like mangrove forests, and excessive resource consumption, including high water usage and food waste. It highlights that 5% of global emissions are linked to tourism and warns that the aviation industry's planned 700% growth by 2050, supported by REDD offsets, is unsustainable. The document calls for a fundamental change in the tourism business model and policies that prioritize the rights and self-determination of local communities over corporate profit.
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Document type: Statement
Día Internacional de la Diversidad Biológica: celebremos protegiendo la biodiversidad, no promoviendo el turismo
Friends of the Earth International criticizes the UN Convention on Biological Diversity for promoting tourism to protect biodiversity, arguing that mass tourism leads to ecosystem destruction, water scarcity, and the displacement of indigenous peoples. The statement highlights that while community-based projects exist, the broader industry is characterized by corporate profit, high emissions, and human rights abuses.
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Document type: Statement
Why We March
The document outlines the dual motivations of despair and hope behind the People's Climate March. Despair is driven by climate damage and government inaction, while hope is based on the potential for sustainable cities, reduced food waste, landscape restoration, and sustainable infrastructure investment.
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Document type: Statement
Guide to Conducting Student Food Waste Audits
The document outlines a step-by-step process for schools to perform food waste audits, including planning, data collection through student interviews and weighing, and a list of evidence-based prevention strategies to reduce waste and improve student nutrition.
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Document type: Guide
Carbon emission mitigation by Consumption-based Accounting and Policy
The Carbon-CAP project assesses the effectiveness and feasibility of consumption-based carbon accounting (CBCA) and demand-side policies to address emissions embodied in trade. By analyzing sectors such as food, buildings, and transport, the report identifies a suite of promising policy instruments—ranging from regulatory standards to carbon-intensive material charges—that could potentially reduce the EU's carbon footprint by up to 48% theoretically, or 4-10% when accounting for realistic behavioral responses by 2050. The study emphasizes that while production-based policies are standard, CBCA provides a critical macro-level indicator of an economy's carbon intensity and the responsibility of consuming nations for global emissions.
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Document type: Report
WRI Sustainable Catering & Events Policy
The WRI Sustainable Catering & Events Policy mandates that food ordered with WRI funds for U.S. office events be vegetarian and vegan. It provides a framework for selecting vendors based on sustainability, outlines strict rules against high-impact meats like beef, lamb, and goat, and sets protocols for reducing food and material waste. The policy is grounded in WRI research indicating that shifting away from animal-based proteins is essential for limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius and reducing agricultural land-use change.
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Document type: Policy brief
THE POTENTIAL OF BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE FOR ACHIEVING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TARGETS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
The document argues that while behavioural change alone cannot meet the European Union's climate targets, it can significantly reduce the policy costs of deep decarbonisation. It identifies 16 behavioural options across food, mobility, and housing, estimating that gradual changes could reduce the mitigation burden by 20% to 25% without upfront investment. The brief highlights co-benefits such as improved public health and food security, and suggests that combining technological transformations with public awareness campaigns and targeted taxes is the most efficient path to mitigation.
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Document type: Policy brief
WWF–Woolworths Partnership Review
The WWF–Woolworths Partnership Review documents the outcomes of a three-year collaboration (2012–2015) focused on reducing the environmental footprint of Woolworths' supply chain. Key achievements include the implementation of Life Cycle Analyses (LCA) for dairy, beef, and textiles to identify environmental hotspots, and the adoption of water stewardship and 'Water Balance' programs to replenish freshwater ecosystems. The partnership also advanced sustainable seafood procurement through WWF-SASSI and initiated research into food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The report emphasizes the value of NGO-corporate collaboration in driving systemic change and sets the stage for a second phase expanding into other African countries and Australia.
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Document type: Report
Toidujäätmete ja toidukao teke Eesti kodumajapidamistes ja toitlustusasutustes
The report analyzes food waste in Estonia, finding that households are the largest contributors, with an average of 130.4 kg of food waste per household annually. In the catering sector, restaurants exhibit the highest rate of food loss, with 87% of their total food waste being avoidable. The study identifies food spoilage as the primary driver of household waste and plate leftovers as the main cause in hospitals and restaurants. It concludes with specific recommendations for households, schools, and healthcare facilities to reduce waste through better planning and consumer awareness.
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Document type: Report
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION INDICATORS FOR THE FUTURE SDGS
The report provides a framework for measuring the transition to sustainable consumption and production (SCP) by identifying specific indicators for SDG 12 and related targets in other SDGs. It organizes these indicators into six domains: scale of resource use, decoupling, environmental impact, technology and lifestyles, financing and investing, and policy support. The document emphasizes the need for 'positive indicators' to show the return on investment in SCP and highlights significant data gaps, particularly in developing countries, while suggesting a set of headline indicators to serve as proxies for global progress.
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Document type: Research paper
Halfway There?
The report argues that the AFOLU sector, which accounts for approximately 24% of global warming pollution, offers significant potential to close the emissions gap. By analyzing eight major emitters—the United States, Indonesia, China, India, Brazil, the European Union, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—the authors find that median mitigation potentials for these countries could cover 76% of the 2020 emissions gap and 44% of the 2030 gap. The report emphasizes a combination of supply-side production efficiencies and demand-side consumption changes, such as reducing beef consumption and food waste, to achieve these reductions.
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Document type: Report
Toidujäätmete teke Eesti kaubandus- ja toiduainetööstusettevõtetes
The report investigates food waste in Estonia's retail and food processing industries, finding that while overall waste levels are lower than in more developed European nations, significant 'food loss' occurs due to retail forecasting difficulties and consumer behavior. In retail, approximately 12,000 tonnes of food are written off annually, valued at 22 million euros, with fruits and vegetables making up the largest share by weight. In the food industry, waste is heavily concentrated in the meat sector, though much of the output is classified as by-products rather than waste. The report identifies transport costs, labor shortages, and legal ambiguities regarding taxes and hygiene as primary barriers to donating surplus food to the Food Bank (Toidupank).
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Document type: Report
Farming Facts and Futures
The report examines the critical pressures facing South African agriculture, including resource scarcity, climate change, and socio-economic inequality. It highlights the interdependence of food, water, and energy systems, warning that current trends in soil degradation, water over-abstraction, and biodiversity loss threaten long-term productivity. The document calls for a shift toward sustainable farming practices, improved land-use planning, and coordinated governance to protect the natural resource base while feeding a growing population.
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Document type: Report
Food security in the Sustainable Development Goals: Where is the process heading?
The document analyzes the transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the shift toward a universal, integrated approach to food security and sustainable agriculture. It reviews proposals from the Open Working Group (OWG) and other entities, highlighting a consensus on increasing productivity and resource efficiency while prioritizing vulnerable populations. However, it notes that specific implementation strategies and the integration of cross-sectoral synergies remain underdeveloped.
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Document type: Briefing
Tudo o que você precisa saber sobre emissões na agropecuária
The document outlines the scale and sources of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, identifying the sector as the second largest global emitter. It highlights the role of methane and nitrous oxide, lists the top emitting countries, and discusses the impact of land-use change and dietary shifts. Finally, it presents the GHG Protocol guidelines as a tool for farms to inventory and reduce their carbon footprint through improved production practices and demand-side changes.
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Document type: Fact sheet
AMERICAS REGIONAL PROCESS EVENT WATER FOR OUR FUTURE
The 'Water for Our Future' event, hosted by the World Water Council, WWF, and The Coca-Cola Company, focused on three themes: Green Growth, Water Stewardship and Industry; Water for Food; and Enough Safe Water for All. The forum emphasized the necessity of 'multisector partnerships' and a shift from short-term water projects to long-term water services. Key discussions highlighted the undervaluation of water in the US, the critical role of farmers in water stewardship, and the need for inclusive planning that incorporates local communities and women. The report also presents case studies on the 'golden triangle' partnership in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basin and a public-private partnership for wastewater treatment in Jordan.
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Document type: After-action report
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION (SCP) Targets and Indicators and the SDGs
The document argues that shifting to sustainable consumption and production (SCP) is essential for global sustainable development and proposes a comprehensive set of science-based targets and indicators. It examines the role of SCP as either a stand-alone goal or a cross-cutting issue, emphasizing the need to decouple economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation. The paper provides specific quantitative targets across various sectors, including agriculture, water, energy, and urban construction, while highlighting the differentiated responsibilities of developed and developing nations.
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Document type: Research paper
FACING THE CHALLENGE TOGETHER SUSTAINABLE FOOD FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
The report argues that feeding a projected global population of 9 billion by 2050 requires 'sustainable intensification'—producing more food with fewer resources to 'freeze the footprint of food'. Based on expert interviews, it identifies key opportunities in precision agriculture, soil health, genetics, and waste recovery. It highlights the US dairy industry as a potential leader in demonstrating closed-loop systems, particularly through the use of anaerobic digesters to convert manure into renewable energy. The document emphasizes that while incremental improvements are necessary, breakthroughs in technology and data sharing, supported by public and private investment, are essential for systemic change.
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Document type: Report
EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF FOOD AND FEED AND HUMAN DIET SHIFTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY: INTEGRATING SCALES
The document argues that the global agro-food system is increasingly inefficient due to a disconnection between crop production and livestock, driven by rising demands for animal protein and high rates of food waste. It highlights that international trade of food and feed has increased eightfold over the last 50 years, leading to significant nitrogen pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Using Spain as a primary example, the authors demonstrate how a shift from a Mediterranean diet to one rich in animal proteins has increased nitrogen pollution and created 'emission leakage,' where emissions associated with imported feed in non-Annex B countries exceed those from domestic production. The briefing suggests that reducing animal protein intake, decreasing food waste, and reconnecting crops with livestock are essential for global food security and environmental safety.
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Document type: Policy brief
Another food system
The author contends that the European food system is failing, as evidenced by the horsemeat scandal and the environmental impact of agriculture, which accounts for over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The text advocates for a holistic approach to food policy that transcends narrow consumerist or ecological goals, emphasizing the need to place farmers at the center of change and promote food cooperatives to re-embed agriculture in society. It highlights a paradox where austerity leads to food bank reliance while obesity-related health costs rise, suggesting that food education and agro-ecological methods are essential for social justice and sustainable feeding of the global population.
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Document type: Statement