UN’s roadmap for a climate-compatible food system omits potential role of animal welfare, among others, experts say
An international team of eight researchers highlights in Nature Food missed opportunities for climate, health and other benefits from reducing consumption of animal-sourced foods. Scientist Rebecca Nordquist from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University is one of the eight authors. “Together with international colleagues, I want to draw attention to the lack of attention for animal welfare, among other issues, in the new United Nations roadmap.”
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently issued its first of a three-part roadmap that aims to eradicate chronic hunger and transform agriculture and food systems into a net carbon sink. The Nature Food commentary identifies major gaps in the roadmap that the authors say must be addressed to meaningfully reduce emissions and promote a healthy food system.
Rebecca Nordquist: “In international policy towards sustainable food production animals welfare is often forgotten. This is both unethical and unwise. Animals are essential stakeholders in food systems and need to be represented.”
In international policy towards sustainable food production animals welfare is often forgotten
Changing our diets and ways of producing food is crucial to combat climate change and increase human health. A key change is lessening the impact of meat and animal products like eggs and dairy.
Nordquist: “There are several ways to make our food system more sustainable, some of which are potentially better for human and animal health and welfare than others. Some may even negatively impact human health by increasing potential for disease from livestock to spread to humans, and many will negatively impact animal welfare.”
One Health concerns
Before publishing its recent roadmap, FAO made a commitment to the “One Health” approach, which it describes as “an integrated, unifying approach” that “recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.” However, the commentary notes, the FAO’s 1.5°C roadmap disregards its own commitment to One Health. The report pays insufficient attention to how intensive animal production practices tends to increase stressful animal confinement, which can increase the risk of infectious diseases such as avian flu, expands the sector’s heavy use of antimicrobials, a contributor to the growing public health threat of antimicrobial resistance, and worsens animal welfare concerns. Meanwhile, the report dismisses the potential of alternative proteins such as plant-based meat to contribute to a more sustainable and healthier food system.
The first part of the FAO’s roadmap was launched at the recent COP28 Climate Conference in Dubai. Given that it will be followed by two more installments at COP29 and COP30 — one with a regional level focus and one with a country-level focus — the commentary’s authors say it is crucial for the organization to address the shortcomings identified.