Food lies at the heart of tackling the climate crisis, water stress and deforestation. Take action with CDP.
Why focus on a sustainable food system?
To prevent dangerous climate change, water scarcity and deforestation we must transform our entire food system.
The food system alone contributes up to a quarter of all global GHG emissions and uses 50% of habitable land and 70% of freshwater withdrawals worldwide. As global economies grow, we must sustainably feed a projected population of nearly 10 billion by 2050.
Meanwhile, climate change and environmental destruction make our current food and agriculture system increasingly vulnerable, which creates significant business risks. These issues impact all stakeholders in the global economy, including companies and investors, cities and governments, and even everyday consumers.
Companies operating in our food system, from fertilizer companies to food retailers worldwide, have an enormous opportunity to unlock ecological solutions and reap financial benefits along the way.
Sustainable Food Systems Initiative
Launched in 2019, CDP’s Sustainable Food Systems Initiative endeavours to take a systems value chain approach to demonstrate the direct link and impact of our current food system on emissions, water security and deforestation in order to shift business and procurement practices – ultimately working toward a food system capable of surviving and thriving in a 1.5 °C world.
1/4
or more of all global GHG emissions are caused by the food and agriculture system
80%
80% of deforestation in the Amazon is caused by cattle ranching
70%
of global freshwater withdrawal and 93% of water depletion globally is due to diversions to agriculture
92%
of food value chain companies have high potential to detrimentally impact forests through the production or use of forest-risk commodities
90%
of all disclosed emissions from the food value chain come from value chain sources, but just 16% of companies have targets that address value chain emissions explicitly
1/4
companies cited risks to their value chain from changes in precipitation patterns and extreme variability in weather patterns, compared to fewer than 1/10 companies non-Food companies
48%
of “business as usual” emissions could be avoided if the world adopted a predominantly plant-centric diet
31%
of companies disclosed opportunities to mitigate their forest impacts through the development of sustainable products & services
16%
year on year growth is expected for the plant-based meat market, with a value of $35.4 billion USD by 2027
In order to manage, we must measure.
Companies that measure and manage their value chain sustainably from farm to fork can minimize risks to their operations and build opportunities that serve the planet as well as their bottom line.
CDP’s standardized and globally recognized disclosure system makes measurement and comparison easier by reducing the burden of collecting and submitting data.
Disclosure forms the bedrock of ambitious action. By disclosing on their environmental performance, companies can get ahead of regulatory and policy changes, identify and tackle growing risks and find opportunities for action.
Disclosure provides transparency around a company’s impact on climate change, water security and forests. It details the impacts, risks and opportunities a company is currently experiencing or expects and plans to experience in the future.
By disclosing first, companies in the food value chain understand how to take meaningful steps to address environmental risks, helping to ensure long-term sustainability and profitability.
Disclose comprehensive environmental data. CDP is the only global platform covering the three integrated areas of climate change, water security and forests.
CDP’s unique value chain approach showcases how the entire food industry — from food producers and purchasers, to processers and manufacturers, to retailers – has a key role to play.
CDP encourages engagement throughout the value chain to plan for future impacts to climate, water and forests. This means ground-level engagement with suppliers, particularly smallholder farmers who rely on their purchasers for their livelihood.
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