Demanding action: Why food policy must deliver sustainable diets, shorter supply chains and prevent food waste

The IPCC’s 2019 Special Report on Land Use and Climate Change found that the way food is produced is both a major driver of climate change and biodiversity loss, among other environmental challenges, and compromising our ability to grow food in the future. Our food system contributes up to a third of our global Greenhouse Gas emissions. But so much can be done to ensure we can all have access to good food, while making space for nature and reducing our risk of climate breakdown.

But what action to take, and where? In line with IPCC’s conclusions, this and subsequent policy brief by Feedback will  spotlight demand-side policy interventions that can deliver for people and the planet, across sustainable diets, shorter supply chains and preventing food waste.

In this policy brief we consider a central question: If policymakers were to take the potential of demand-side food system measures as seriously as is warranted by the IPCC’s findings, what should they do? And how?