A BIG EMITTER?
Total GHG emissions from agri-food systems
in CO2eq per year (2019)
The broader agri-food system is a significant contributor to climate change and it is also one of the economic sectors most vulnerable to its impacts. Greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout the agri-food system supply chains account for up to one-third of all anthropogenic emissions worldwide. Taking this broader perspective on the food system opens up opportunities to develop mitigation strategies that cover the entire system.
Source: F. N. Tubiello et al (2022) Pre- and post-production processes increasingly dominate greenhouse gas emissions from agri-food systems
Global emissions are generated by the broader agri-food system
Farm Gate
of emissions come primarily from crop and livestock production activities that occur within the farm gate
Land Use
of emissions come from the conversion of natural ecosystems to agriculture, such as deforestation and peatland degradation
Pre- and post- production
of emissions come from processes like energy use in fertilizer manufacturing, food processing, packaging, transport, retail, household consumption, and waste disposal
During the study period of 1990 to 2020, there was a total increase of 17% in agri-food system emissions. However, since approximately 2006, these emissions have remained relatively stable (see chart below). This overall trend was mainly influenced by a twofold rise in emissions from pre- and post-production processes, while land use emissions experienced a 25% decrease, and emissions at the farm gate only increased by 9%.
