UN experts have called for a major overhaul of the global food system in order to combat hunger, use natural resources more efficiently and stop environmental damage. According to the International Resource Panel (IRP), this overhaul includes a change of unhealthy dietary patterns and a shift in affluent societies from meat to more plant-based diets. In its new report, the IRP - a group of more than 30 international scientists and national governments hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – says the world urgently needs to switch to a sustainable food system that changes the way food is grown, harvested, processed, traded, transported, stored, sold and consumed. “We have the knowledge and the tools at our disposal to feed all the people in the world while minimizing harm to the environment. A better, more sustainable food system can allow us to produce and consume food without the detrimental effects on our natural resources,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. According to the report, food systems are currently unsustainable from a natural resources perspective. Globally, they are responsible for 60% of terrestrial biodiversity loss, around 24% of greenhouse gas emissions, 33% of degraded soils, the depletion of 61% of ‘commercial’ fish populations, and the overexploitation of 20% of the world’s aquifers. Although food production has increased remarkably over the past decades, more than 800 million people remain hungry, two billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies - mainly vitamin A, iodine, iron and zinc - and more than two billion people are overweight or obese. Population growth and increased demand for food will put even more pressure on natural resources, the report notes. To combat these problems, the world urgently needs to shift to food systems which make sustainable use of renewable resources without harming the environment. The IPR laid out a series of recommendations for governments, including the reduction of food loss and waste, the replacement of certain inputs (such as pesticides) with ecosystem services and higher nutrient efficiency along the food chain, for example through better recycling of minerals in animal manure and use of by-products or food waste as feed or compost. Other measures include connecting urban consumers with how their food is produced and informing them about the environmental impact of their dietary choices. The experts strongly recommend a move away from resource-intensive products such as meat and highly processed food. The report warns that “the high consumption of animal based products, as well as of ultraprocessed food (often containing ‘empty calories’) brings disproportionate environmental costs, and moreover undermines public health due to obesity-related diseases.” Prof Maarten Hajer, the lead author of the report, told the UN environment assembly in Nairobi that meat consumption should be reduced and governments should tax meat production. “If we were all to copycat the way in which we feed ourselves in North America or Europe, the planet would be in deep trouble,” he was quoted by the Guardian. He said the intake of meat could be reduced by increasing its price. “We think it’s better to price meats earlier in the chain, it’s easier. It’s sexier to tax it at the consumer level, but not as effective,” said Hajer. (ab)