Introduction
Marie Persson is the Project Manager of the Nordic Food Policy Lab based at the Nordic Council of Ministers. Through action oriented policy labs and collaborations with international partners, we curate and help develop food policy tools and insights for health & sustainability.
With a background at a research network for food systems sustainability at Oxford University (Food Climate Research Network) and with my current work being focused on merging policy, culture and innovation for sustainble food, I’m interested in how we can bring together diverse fields of expertise to accelerate a transformation towards sustainable healthy diets.
I am passionate about working with food and food systems, as it is the place where so many if our challenges around human and planetary wellbeing converge. I am also interested in collaborations between science, art, design and policy, and in utilizing the power of storytelling. I helped create (and now sit on the board) of the non-profit Art & Science Initiative.
FOOD SYSTEMS, encompassing all processes and interactions from food production to consumption and food waste, interact with the environment in multiple ways. Not only are they major sources of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change, they also contribute to water and air pollution, deforestation, biodiversity loss, desertification and land degradation.
How we will feed a growing – and increasingly affluent – world population on the limited land that is suitable for agriculture is one of the greatest challenges of today. With unchanged production and consumption patterns the global food system cannot meet the nutritional demands of a growing world population projected to increase to 10 billion by 2050 without irreversibly damaging the planet. The land requirements of different diets tend to be most strongly correlated to a country’s level of per capita meat consumption and as of today, livestock takes up nearly 80% of global agricultural land. Building truly sustainable food systems will require us to stay within the environmentally sustainable limits for food production while at the same time ensuring that our food systems can provide basic human needs like nutrition, employment, health, and more. This will only be possible with structural changes to how food systems operate as well as changes to our appetite for resource intensive and environmentally harmful foods, particularly in high- and middle-income countries where other options are more easily available.
Kate Scow is Distinguished Professor of Soil Science and Microbial Ecology in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at UC Davis since 1989. She is Director of the Russell Ranch Sustainable Agriculture Facility which hosts the long-term Century Experiment and previously (2001-2006) was Director of the Kearney Foundation of Soil Science: “Soil Carbon and California’s Terrestrial Ecosystems.” Scow’s research program investigates relationships between soil microbial diversity and critical soil functions in agroecosystems: biogeochemical cycling, soil structure, organic matter, as well as explores connections between soil biology and the rapidly evolving field of soil health. She has worked extensively on how indigenous microbial communities can help restore polluted ecosystems and designing low-cost treatment systems to encourage their activities. Scow also works with smallholder farmers in Uganda, using participatory research approaches and integrating local knowledge, in vegetable production, soil health, and small-scale irrigation. She has published over 240 articles and books on soil biology, agroecology, long term research in agriculture, and participatory research with small holder farmers in E. Africa. Scow is Chair of the of International Agricultural Development Graduate Group and previously was Chair of Soils and Biogeochemistry Graduate Group She teaches agroecology at Maringa State University in Parana, Brazil and has mentored students at Makerere University, Uganda Christian University and Busitema University in Uganda. Scow received her MS and PhD degrees in Soil Science (Agronomy) from Cornell University.
Kate Scow
Professor of Soil Science and Microbial Ecology
UC DAVIS
Deterioration of relationships between humans and soil has led to unsustainable management of agricultural, urban and wildland soils, leaving behind degraded ecosystems and endangering human health. Many of us have wandered far from our soil roots and are disconnected from Earth’s Terra Firma. Few realize how much our own health depends on the health of soils: good food; clean air and water; stable climate; disease control. Healthier soils are within reach: basic principles such as feeding it more, disturbing it less, keeping it covered, poisoning it less, can be realized through practices that have been around for years. We are all in this together and our collective health depends on taking care of one another.
Professor Christel Cederberg from Department Space, Earth and Environment at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden does research in the area of sustainable biomass production with a focus on agriculture and food. She has a long experience of environmental system analysis, e.g. life cycle assessment (LCA), especially livestock production systems. In on-going projects, she is investigating grass-based biorefineries, food systems with improved nutrient cycles and potentials for carbon sequestrations in soils and forests.
Christel Cederberg
Professor – Department Space, Earth and Environment
CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
The way that animal feeds are grown and managed are crucial for meat’s environmental friendliness. While feeding strategies in poultry and pork production follow a similar pattern in most parts of the world – grain combined with a protein source, often soymeal – the feed sources in global beef production systems show large variations. Beef can be sourced from such diverse production system as cattle grazing on newly deforested land in the Amazon, cattle being raised in North American feedlots intensely fed with concentrates, and cattle pasturing high nature value grasslands in Europe.
During the last decade, research on food environmental sustainability has had a strong focus on calculating greenhouse gas emissions from different agricultural systems and estimating how alternative diets can contribute to the reduced climate impact of food consumption. My strong belief is that research now must widen the analysis of agriculture to include additional urgent environmental aspects when searching for answers on how meat production can/should develop and on which meat types and how much meat we can/should eat in future. Current environmental analyses provide us with an unbalanced picture of agriculture and food systems´ sustainability (1), and it is urgent that we get better data and information about land degradation, biodiversity impacts and negative effects of pesticides and veterinary antibiotics associated with current animal production systems, and this goes for all meat, not only beef.
The concept of agroecology is increasingly discussed as a way of transforming global food systems to meet the Sustainability Development Goals. Consequently, we need to investigate what type of beef production practices fit within this concept. We can do that with the help of 10 principles of agroecology suggested by FAO (2) whereof the principles Diversity; Synergies; Efficiency; Resilience and Recycling are highly relevant when assessing environmental sustainability. Examples of beef production practices encompassing those principles are systems that integrate crop and livestock for optimizing nutrient cycles and integrate dairy and meat for efficiency, includes legumes to reduce nitrogen fertilizer inputs, and production system that have a dominance of forage and pasture as these feed sources (unless deforested land is used) have a high potential of favouring biodiversity and soil health and reducing pesticides.
Dr. David Love, PhD, MSPH, is an Associate Scientist in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. His work relates to food systems, seafood, and public health.
Dave Love
Associate Scientist
JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
For seafood production, catching small pelagic fish and farming mollusks have the lowest impacts on the climate. Small pelagic fish like anchovies, herring, and sardines swim in dense schools in the ocean and can be caught more easily and with less fuel than other species. While many small pelagic fish are caught and turned into fish meal, some are eaten, particularly in parts of Africa where small pelagic fish are an essential food source. Farmed mollusks such as clams, mussels, and oysters do not require feed, as do seaweed, which makes them climate-friendly. Looking at the rest of the supply chain, shipping seafood also has climate impacts. Compared to shipping seafood by boat, shipping by air takes 50 times more energy than by boat, and by truck takes 12 times more energy than by boat. Boats are used to ship frozen and canned seafood long distances, while fresh seafood travels by air. When considering seafood products that have come from other countries, consider the climate impacts of product advertised as “never frozen.” Selecting frozen or canned seafood can also limit food waste, which is another contributor to climate change.
Dianna Cohen is Co-Founder and CEO of Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) and a passionate advocate against plastic pollution. PPC is a growing global alliance of more than 1,000 organizations, businesses, and notable thought leaders working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on humans, animals, and the environment. A Los Angeles based visual artist, Dianna has shown her work internationally at galleries, foundations, and museums. She uses plastic in her artwork to make a visual and social impact. With plastic bags as her primary material for the past 27 years, Cohen is interested in exploring its materiality through modifications and the material’s relationship to culture, media, toxicity, and the world at large and shared this in her 2010 TED talk “Tough Truths About Plastic Pollution.” Dianna is a frequent speaker and guest and has spoken at the UN and international conferences and symposia, and has been interviewed by Al Jazeera, NBC Nightly News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, USA Today, Martha Stewart Living, and many others. She is the recipient of the Global Green Environment Award, the Snow Angel Award, and Environmentalist of the Year by SIMA, among others. Dianna studied Biology, Art, and Film at the University of California, Los Angeles and holds a BA in Fine Arts.
Dianna Cohen
CEO
PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION
More and more plastic is being produced every day, yet studies show that 91 percent of plastic is NOT recycled. So what happens to all that plastic we “throw away?” 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean annually. A portion of this plastic waste is burned, contributing to air pollution. The rest ends up in our landfills and environment. In the U.S, the plastic pollution counted as “recycled” may be exported to countries with poor waste management, where plastic may be crudely processed in unsafe facilities and burnt in open areas, creating additional pollution and human health concerns. Many people do not realize that plastic comes from petroleum and is a source of greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change. What can we do to stop this urgent global crisis? Refuse single-use plastic! Think “reusable” instead of “disposable” in your daily choices for food and beverages.
Mesfin Mekonnen’s research focuses on understanding the interactions of human and natural systems in determining the sustainability of freshwater resources. His specialties include water footprint assessment, water scarcity, water management, crop water use modelling, spatial modelling and water for energy. Mekonnen is a Research Assistant Professor at Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (WFI), University of Nebraska. He holds a doctoral degree in water engineering and management with specialization in water footprint assessment from University of Twente, The Netherlands.
Mesfin Mekonnen
Research Assistant Professor
WFI, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
The 2012 World Water Day slogan “The World is Thirsty Because We are Hungry” clearly illustrates the crucial relationship between water and food production. However, most consumers have little idea of this close link between water consumption and food production. Average Americans need about 7,800 liters of water a day. Just 4 percent of this water is used at home for cleaning, cooking and drinking, washing, and showering. A colossal 96% of the water is invisible and is used to produce the food, fiber, and other daily products we use. A hamburger needs 2,400 liters of water; a cup of coffee needs 130 liters; a chocolate bar needs 1,700 liters; a kilo of beef needs 15,000 liters of water. We do need to realize that, through our eating habits and by reducing waste, we will make the world a little more water secure.
Alexander Müller served as a city councillor in Marburg, as State Secretary and member of Parliament in Hessen/Germany, and as State Secretary for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture for Germany’s Federal Government. From 2006 until 2013, Müller served as the Assistant Director-General of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and was responsible for the FAO’s work on Land and Water, Climate Change, and Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. He was a member of the UN Secretary-Generals Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change (AGECC) in 2009 and has served the Chair of the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN). Müller is also involved in Germany’s green energy transition, known as the “Energiewende“. Since 2014 Müller has served as the study leader for TEEBAgriFood and as the Managing Director of TMG – Think Tank for Sustainability.
Alexander Muller
Managing Director
TMG THINK TANK
Organic agriculture aims to keep an ecological balance by considering the medium- and long-term effect of agricultural interventions on the agro-ecosystem. It takes a proactive approach as opposed to treating problems after they emerge. Organic production systems have proven environmental benefits including increased soil quality, enhanced biodiversity, reduced pollution and improved animal welfare. Better soil structure, more organic matter and more living organisms in organically managed soils support fertility and reduce soil erosion while enhancing production resiliency during drought and thus improving food security potential in a growing period of climatic uncertainty. Organic farms often have more semi-natural habitats which help to protect and manage biodiversity. By significantly reducing synthetic pesticide and fertiliser use, organic farming reduces nitrogen and phosphorus leaching which protects our water and own health. Organic animals have more space and access to outdoors to express their natural behaviours. Routine use of preventative medication and antibiotics is restricted for organic animals lowering the risk of antibiotic resistance and helping prolong effectiveness for human medical use. Consuming organic foods significantly lessens exposure to pesticide residues and associated endocrine disrupting chemical that have been linked to cancer and other human health issues. Organic farms often create more jobs and better incomes for farmers and workers. With less pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and antibiotics, and a healthier and more resilient environment, organic farming improves the life of farmers, farm workers, consumers and society.
Dr. Parag is the Vice Dean of the IDC’s School of Sustainability. She holds a BSc degree in biology, and MA and PhD degrees in social sciences. Between 2005 and 2011 she was a researcher in the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), at the University of Oxford, UK and a senior researcher at the Energy Group (Lower Carbon Future). Her research focuses on the transition to low carbon and sustainable energy systems. She is an expert on energy consumer behaviour, consumer and prosumer integration into the smart electricity grid, energy security, local and community governance of energy, public acceptance of energy generation technologies, personal carbon trading and more. In addition, she is developing the Middle Out framework and applies it as an analytical tool for understanding socio-techno-economic transitions. Previously, she studied the process through which drinking water standards and regulations are set and the environmental, social and economic impacts of bottled water consumption.
Yael Parag
Vice Dean
IDC SCHOOL OF SUSTAINABILITY
We cannot live without water. The UN SDG #6 calls to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Despite the progress made in improving the availability of basic drinking water services, today more than 700 million people around the world still lack even this basic service (the WHO defines ‘basic service’ as an improved drinking-water source within a round trip of 30 minutes to collect water).
Safe drinking water is essential for human health, as contaminated water can transmit many diseases, including diarrhea, cholera, and polio. It is estimated that diarrhea caused by contaminated drinking water is responsible for nearly 500,000 death cases each year, many of which are children under the age of 5. In addition, poor water quality impacts education, as water-borne diseases are associated with poor school attendance and thus millions of school days lost. In under-developed and developing regions, the provisioning of safe drinking water contributes significantly to economic growth and improves productivity. That is due to improved health, higher school attendance, and the fact that people need to spend less time and effort collecting and delivering water to their families. The WHO estimated a return of 4.3$ for every 1$ invested in water and sanitation services, and an overall gain of 1.5% of global GDP.
Thanks to regulation and investments in water infrastructure, in nearly all developed countries the quality of tap water is high and tightly monitored, and only rarely an outbreak of water-borne disease occurs. In addition, in most countries safe water is affordable. And yet, the bottled water industry is flourishing and rapidly growing, as many of those who have access to safe and cheap drinking water prefer bottled water over tap water.
Today, millions of people around the world, in developed and developing countries, consume bottled water regularly. To illustrate, in 2007 approximately 212 billion liters of bottled water were consumed globally. By 2017, consumption reached 391 billion liters and consumption per capita increased as well.
It is likely that most consumers are not fully aware of the heavy environmental, social and economic costs associated with the consumption of bottled water. Compared to tap water, the quality of bottled water is less regulated and less monitored. The plastic bottles themselves often release unhealthy chemicals into the water, thus posing various health risks to the drinker. The manufacturing of the plastic bottles requires vast amounts of oil, as does the transportation of raw materials to the factories and final products to consumers. Many tons of CO2 are emitted to the atmosphere during these processes, thus contributing to climate change. While the used plastic bottles can be recycled, more often than not they end their life in landfills or in various ecosystems, where they pose a risk to wildlife. When the plastic wears out to microplastic it can pollute water resources and can accumulate in tissues of animals and humans. As it takes decades for the plastic to decompose, the full health and environmental impacts of bottled water are not yet fully known and understood. So why pay for bottled water which is harmful to the environment and health, and could be tens and even hundreds of times more expensive than the safe tap water running in the pipelines?
With an MSc in biochemistry (1973) and a PhD in microbiology (1977), Harry Aiking worked as a research associate at Indiana University in Bloomington, USA, 1978-79. Subsequently, he became a KWF (Royal Dutch Cancer Fund) Fellow at the Central Blood Bank Laboratory in Amsterdam before joining VU University in Amsterdam in 1980. There he has been leading dozens of multidisciplinary projects on the interface of natural and social sciences. He has been Advisor to the Dutch Attorney General in cases of industrial soil pollution 1987-2014 and a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) 1997-2018. During 1999-2005, he led the NWO programme PROFETAS (Protein Foods, Environment, Technology And Society). He authored over 400 publications. After his formal retirement in 2014, he was rehired by the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM-VU) in 2017. Thus, he remains affiliated there, continuing to supervise PhD students, lecture and publish.
Harry Aiking
Institute for Environmental Studies
VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT AMSTERDAM
I’m a tropical forester and extension scientist by training. Have PhD at University of Amsterdam based on research about multi-scale environmental coalition building. Worked for 5 years at Oxfam Novib at global environmental programs, and the past 10 years I have been a senior officer based at IUCN Netherlands focusing on agro-commodity governance.
I’m a passionate participant, designer and facilitator of sustainability debates.
Last not least..I sing and write songs, often inspired by nature, and coach people to perform as singers. For my work in music check my website http://www.heleenvandenhombergh.com and greenbeatperformers.nl
Heleen van den Hombergh
Advisor Agrocommodity Governance
IUCN NL
Conventional soy production often contributes to biodiversity loss by deforestation, conversion of valuable grasslands and irresponsible use of chemicals. Good sustainability standards are available to avoid these ecological effects, but still the use of soy for livestock feed uses about five times more land, water and energy than soy for direct human consumption! So, the choice for tofu or other plant protein made from certified deforestation & conversion free, non genetically modified soy is a huge step towards a healthier and climate proof planet.
Michael’s main research interests are quantifying the GHG emissions arising from food supply chains and the identifying of cost-effective ways of reducing emissions. From 2010 to 2012 he was part of the team that developed GLEAM, FAO’s Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (http://www.fao.org/gleam/en/ ). He has been involved in agri-food policy research for 18 years, and has undertaken projects for a wide range of clients during this period, including: the Scottish and UK Governments, The UK Committee on Climate Change, the European Commission, the OECD, the International Livestock Research Institute and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. He uses a combination of agri-environmental modelling and economic analysis, e.g.: life-cycle analysis; GHG accounting; cost-effectiveness analysis.
Michael MacLeod
Senior Researcher
Scotland’s Rural College (SRC)
References
Leinonen, I., Williams, A.G., Wiseman, J., Guy, J. and Kyriazakis, I. 2012. Predicting the environmental impacts of chicken systems in the UK through a Life Cycle Assessment: egg production systems. Poultry Science 91: 26-40.
Leinonen I, Kyriazakis I (2016) How can we improve the environmental sustainability of poultry production? Proc Nutr Soc. 75(3):265-73.
MacLeod, M., Leinonen, I., Wall, E., Houdijk, J., Eory, V., Burns, J., Vosough Ahmadi, B. and Gomez Barbero, M., (2019) Impact of animal breeding on GHG emissions and farm economics, EUR 29844 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2019, ISBN 978-92-76-10943-3 (online), doi:10.2760/731326 (online), JRC117897.
Hens’ eggs make an important contribution to food security globally by providing affordable, high quality protein in a broadly culturally acceptable form. In developing countries, small scale flocks of poultry provide scarce animal protein and are often essential to women’s incomes and position within their households (FAO 2014). However, like most foods, egg production has some negative impacts on the environment. Most of these impacts arise during the growing of crops for feed and the management of manures excreted by the laying hens. Feed production entails the use of land, fertiliser and energy and the emission of greenhouse gas emissions, losses of nutrients to the environment and impacts on biodiversity. The management of chicken manures can also lead to significant impacts in terms of GHG emissions and nutrient losses. Finally, a small amount of energy is also used on chicken farms, which can have a variety of impacts, depending on the energy source. Many options exist to reduce the impacts of egg production. In small scale production, reducing predation and improving chicken health and genetics can lead to increases in productivity and a reduction in the environmental impact per egg produced. In developed countries, laying hens are already high performing, so the scope for improvement via breeding is more limited (MacLeod et al. 2019). However, other ways of reducing the impact are available, such as the use of enzymes to improve feed digestibility and changes in the way manure is managed (Leinonen and Kyriazakis 2016). Finally, as feed production accounts for most the environmental impact of eggs, improvements in feed crop production (e.g. increasing the efficiency of fertiliser application or increasing soil carbon stocks) will lead to significant reductions in the impact of eggs.
Andrew is an agriculturalist at heart with a passion for food and nutrition. Working across the food system, Andrew has worn many hats from field hand to biotechnologist, commercial seed producer to food export strategist, and now, a value chain analyst at ripe.io- a leader in the agrifood blockchain space. A big picture thinker who is not afraid to roll up his sleeves to scout a field or run a statistical analysis; Andrew is excited to use his 10+ years of experience in the food system to drive ripe’s mission- enabling participants to improve trust and transparency in their supply chain.
Andrew Greenwell
Value Chain Analyst
RIPE.IO
Palm oil is complex. Its long shelf life, affordability and production efficiency (generating 4-10 times the amount of oil than comparable crops like soybean from an acre) makes it a key ingredient in 50% of the products found on supermarket shelves; including frying oil, peanut butter, ice cream, margarine, crackers, and cookies. Palm oil is also used in cosmetics, soaps, to relieve vitamin A deficiency, and pharmaceuticals for the treatment of malaria, and even cyanide poisoning! If it doesn’t sound familiar, maybe you recognize it by one of its other names – palm kernel, vegetable oil, palmitate, glyceryl, stearate, or sodium laureth sulfate.
The widespread use and demand for palm oil complicates solving for the impacts of harmful palm production practices. In Indonesia and Malaysia- where 84% of the world’s palm oil is grown- there are declines in forest and peatlands causing biodiversity loss; displacement of native creatures like orangutans; large climate change causing emissions; and land grabs from indigenous communities to maximize production land.
It’s important for consumers to actively stop support of harmful palm production by identifying palm oil in food ingredients, understanding how and where it is produced, and to hold the industry accountable for transparently promoting traceable and fair practices.
Dr. Christian Bunn is scientist for climate smart coffee and cocoa value chains at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia. His work combines quantitative climate data analysis with participatory and qualitative research with the objective to mainstream climate adaptation into sustainability projects.
Christian Bunn
Scientist for Climate Smar Coffee and Cocoa Value Chains
CIAT
Conventional coffee is a perennial crop with a productive life of about 20 years that is grown on plantations with up to 5000 small trees per ha. This system compares favorably to adjacent field crop production (e.g. maize or soy) because it provides better soil protection, higher carbon stocks, lower machine use, higher biodiversity and a less negative impact on local climate. But quantifying the environmental impact of conventionally-grown coffee is difficult. Large coffee operations with high-input irrigated plantations, pre-emergence herbicides, pesticides and machine harvesters will result in a higher water fooprint and much lower biodiversity than, for example, a system with some functional shade trees, targeted agro-chemical use and manual harvesting. But biodiversity and water footprint impacts pale when compared to the land use impact coffee has that leads to deforestation, an issue which is receiving renewed attention as global warming and demand for high-quality coffee drives coffee production into higher areas with forest cover and high biodiversity. Lastly, roasted coffee is not the product which is consumed – a cappuccino with milk has a carbon, land and water footprint ten times as large as a filter coffee.
For milk I’d refer to SCIENCE MAGAZINE, Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers – by J. Poore and T. Nemececk, but their coffee data differs from studies cited in the coffee sector. So I would use Faostat for coffee land use, AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, Carbon footprints and carbon stocks reveal climate-friendly coffee production for GHG, and UNESCO/IHE – The Water Needed to Have the Dutch Drink Coffee – by Chapagain and Hoekstra for the water footprint. When assuming 10gr/cup + 200ml milk/Cappuccino then land use is 12x higher, GHG 5x, and water use 8.5x higher for the Cappuccino (when keeping the numbers from Poore&Nemecek, then the factors are 6.5, 2.5, 320).
Dr. Ir. Roseline Remans is a Senior Scientist with The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Her research focuses on measuring and managing biodiversity in food systems for healthier diets, better livelihoods and environmental sustainability. Her approach is cross-sectoral, contributing to publications in Science, Nature, PNAS, The Lancet Planetary Health, etc., and with public and private sector applications in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Europe and the US. Roseline is a co-principal investigator of the Agrobiodiversity Index; a co-lead of the Consortium for Improving Agricultural Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA), and a co-lead of the flagship on Enhancing Sustainability across agricultural systems of the CGIAR research program on Water, Land, and Ecosystems (WLE).
Before joining the Alliance, Remans was a Marie Curie fellow and research scientist at the Earth Institute of Columbia University in New York (2008-2013) and Addis Ababa (2013 -2016). She has a PhD in Biosystems engineering from KULeuven (2007) with applications in Cuba, Mexico and Colombia.
Rosaline Remans
Senior Scientist
Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
One in three people in the world suffers from micronutrient deficiencies and one in five children is chronically undernourished. Food biodiversity can help offer a more rich variety of high-nutrient species and varieties. Many nutritious fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds available in the wild or in traditional farming systems are not well known and could be used to improve nutrient adequacy of diets and reduce diet-related illnesses and deaths.
Agriculture contributes around 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions, is the single largest user of fresh water on the planet, and covers about 40% of global land area. Using biodiversity-based approaches on this vast area of land can reduce emissions and runoff, decrease the need for synthetic inputs, improve soil quality, encourage pollinators and conserve varieties and species. Biodiversity-based solutions are at the heart of agroecological practices, which intensify production while reducing pressures on the environment and increasing the resilience of our food systems to shocks.
The ultimate strength of agrobiodiversity is its multi-functionality : it contributes to multiple dimensions of sustainability. And that is what sustainable diets is also about: diets that benefit human health, environmental sustainability, cultural ownership and equity. Agrobiodiversity can help achieve on those multiple fronts. Diversity in the diets contributes to more adequate nutrition and culturally appropriate foods, diversity in production systems contribute to ecosystem services and environmental sustainability, diversity in market systems contribute to livelihood and food systems resilience, and provide opportunities for smallholders and agro-businesses. Key is to recognize and connect those multiple benefits of agrobiodiversity across the food system and its critical opportunity for more sustainable diets.
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