Title page
Contents
Summary 4
01. Introduction 6
1.1. Trends in biodiversity loss 7
1.2. Food systems as a driver of biodiversity loss 8
1.3. Food system-driven biodiversity loss and global health: the case of COVID-19 10
1.4. This research paper 11
02. How today's food system drives biodiversity loss 12
2.1. Vicious circles in our food system 12
2.2. The 'cheaper food' paradigm 14
2.3. How the 'cheaper food' paradigm drives biodiversity loss 17
03. Key levers for food system redesign 24
3.1. Dietary change 25
3.2. Setting aside land for biodiversity 26
3.3. Adapting the way we farm the land 27
3.4. The need for all three levers 29
04. Recommendations for action in 2021 32
4.1. The implications of COVID-19 for decision-making in 2021 33
4.2. Recommendations 35
05. Technical annex 43
5.1. The impacts of today's food system on biodiversity 43
5.2. Options for implementing food system redesign in support of biodiversity 59
Abbreviations and acronyms 70
Glossary 71
About the authors 72
Acknowledgments 73
Table 1. Average (2007-16) annual emissions of greenhouse gases from the food system 22
Figure 1. Distribution of global biomass across all mammals and birds 8
Figure 2. Global land 'foodprint' 10
Figure 3. The 'cheaper food' paradigm 16
Figure 4. The food system and its impacts on biodiversity 18
Figure 5. Schematic illustrating indicative land-use choices under three scenarios for food demand 31
Figure 6. Trends in world agriculture 44
Figure 7. Estimated global variation in GHG emissions, land use, terrestrial acidification, eutrophication and scarcity-weighted freshwater withdrawals, within and between 36 major foods 60
Boxes
Box 1. Defining a 'food system' 13
Box 2. The 'cheaper food' paradigm and food and nutrition security 16
Box 3. Sustainable and unsustainable intensification 29
Box 4. Key international events for food system reform and biodiversity in 2021 32
Box 5. Making nature-based solutions work for biodiversity 40
Box 6. Pastoralist/grazer/wildlife conflict in Botswana 48