FOOD SYSTEMS NEED TO CHANGE TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE, UN

 

Food Systems Need to Change to Combat Climate change, UN

The United Nations Secretary General has said the world needs to change its food system to combat climate change. They have to think about how they cook, how they eat and how they waste food.

"The war on our planet must end and the food system can help us build peace," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the 76^th session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

Noting that our food system is responsible for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, António Guterres said that by following the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, where hunger and poverty can be eradicated, at the same time, it can help to achieve global health and wealth.

Guterres emphasized the need to focus on agricultural subsidies reforms, and said that food should not be considered as a trade item only but it should be accepted as a right where everyone has a share in it.

The World Bank Group, the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Food and Land Use Coalition have proposed a 4.5 trillion dollar trade opportunity with a fair food system.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Thursday announced 900 million dollars in aid to end global malnutrition after US President Joe Biden announced earlier this week a 10 billion dollar investment to end hunger.

Climate change is the cause of the conflicts

World leaders have expressed concern over the deteriorating environmental situation, saying it could have social and political implications.

Addressing a UN Security Council meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: "International peace and security are threatened almost everywhere today, and you will find that climate change is decreasing the peaceful environment and security, and the situation is becoming more challenging for us."

Although Russia and China have argued that climate change is not having a significant impact on world peace, however, the US leader cited the examples of Syria, Mali, Yemen, South Sudan and Ethiopia.

"We must not get bogged down in the debate over whether the climate crisis has link with Security Council or not, but rather we should focus on this that how Security Council can use its special powers to compete the negative impact of the climate on peace and security," said Anthony Blinken."

Guterres said, "The effects of climate change are exacerbated when past or present conflicts are also linked" and when climate change causes a shortage of natural resources such as water, people's grievances and tensions escalate and becomes a catastrophic. That affects efforts to prevent conflict and maintain peace".