By Rachel Sherrington, investigative researcher and journalist based in Brussels, and Hazel Healy, UK Editor of DeSmog. Originally published at DeSmog.
This week, as business and government leaders, investors and campaigners gather for New York’s Climate Week, DeSmog is relaunching its major agriculture series, which will examine the power of food and agriculture companies.
Agriculture used to play second fiddle to energy when it came to global warming, which is considered a nice thing to have. But as global warming continues, food-related emissions are rising rapidly.
Nitrous oxide – a planet-warming gas with nearly 300 times the power of CO2 when measured over 100 years – is accumulating in the Earth’s atmosphere at unprecedented rates. Levels of methane – another powerful greenhouse gas in reducing pollution – have also it went up since the beginning of the decade and they show “no sign of decline”.
But while science shows that food systems are fueling global warming, the world’s largest agricultural companies continue to argue that they are. the solution from climate change.
The claim comes as evidence mounts that big business agribusiness abusers are using their enormous economic and political power to block environmental legislation around the world – and as the footprint of the big meat and dairy industries ‘continues to grow’.
DeSmog’s renewed focus on agriculture comes ahead of an important and eventful year for climate, and food politics, with major conferences related to biodiversity, energy and food expected in the coming months in Colombia and Azerbaijan this year.
The COP30 climate conference in Brazil in the city of Belém follows in 2025, at the gateway to the Amazon rainforest – the most important place in the world.
These conferences are important because the future of agriculture is tied not only to global warming but also to healthy human life – and the key to preserving the habitats and species we share our planet with.
Food and agriculture are both drivers of global warming and victims of its effects. This year severe weather made more severe and more frequent by climate change killed 7.1 million cattle, sheep and goats in Mongolia. It is known as a zudthis combination of drought and severe winter wiped out more than a tenth of the country’s herds.
In Jamaica, Cyclone Beryl destroyed more than $6.4 million worth of food crops and supporting infrastructure in the country, leaving devastated communities facing food shortages after it hit the country in July.
These events emphasize why in the annual survey The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has now identified climate change as one of the main causes of food shortages, and warned that accelerating climate change threatens to set back global efforts to tackle world hunger.
The farming industry also threatens our natural world. Agriculture is the leading cause of biodiversity loss, and is responsible for 80 percent of land use change, resulting in deforestation at the rate of nearly 10 football fields per minute.
As world leaders prepare for critical discussions at the COP30 climate conference, which will look at climate efforts over the past five years and ask governments to show greater ambition in the face of the planet’s emergency, they can expect company from responsible companies. interest in the current situation.
A major report released in July found that the world’s biggest meat and dairy companies – some of which emit anti-pollution pollutants – are using a range of tactics borrowed from the petrol and tobacco industries to block climate action.
A landmark assessment from the World Health Organization has also found that Big Food companies – including those from the meat and dairy sectors – have used various tactics to disrupt European health policy, which it estimates has led to thousands of premature deaths in the region. .
Gaming policies
We expect large agribusinesses to step up their PR and influence efforts at a time when food is high on the international agenda. Ahead of the COP30 climate conference in Brazil, which is home to the world’s largest agribusiness companies such as meat giant JBS, countries will be asked to submit new plans to reduce emissions from agriculture.
On the road to Belém, we’ll talk about other times where efforts to influence the industry can move forward – including two major conferences this year.
First is the biodiversity conference, COP16, this October – a forum that has been increasing interest for agrichemical giants in recent years, as governments are increasingly being asked to tackle climate and environmental emergencies together.
Immediately after COP16, we will track the industry’s boots on the ground at the COP29 climate conference, which will take place shortly in Baku, Azerbaijan. Expected to be at the top of the financial system, large agribusiness in countries like the EU and the US have proven to have the ability to grow the economy while small farmers around the world continue to miss out on green subsidies.
Like last year, the climate conference will provide the agricultural business with many ways to influence. Baku – another host with a shocking history of human rights and climate to follow from COP28 in Dubai in 2023 – will host a conference of hundreds of industry delegates, and hold a dedicated food day, side events, at least one food and agriculture program. -centered pavilions.
Azerbaijan’s COP coincides with the G20, a two-day gathering of world leaders hosted by Brazil, where climate and hunger issues will be discussed (and where agribusiness has already tasted the messages it will use).
In addition to bringing these conferences together, DeSmog will continue to look closely at the goals favored by the industry in its ‘net-zero’ program goals, such as the promise of a “regenerative agriculture” change, which is to be included in new voluntary programs, such as Regen10, next year.
DeSmog will also tap into the misleading arguments that the world’s biggest food companies are the solution to hunger and food security – a common complaint.
After last year’s COP, the managers of the meat industry left the conference in anticipation of what would happen and vowed to “keep pushing”.
As the battle for the future of food intensifies and countries are asked to submit new targets we will be looking to tackle the sector.