Addressing Climate Change by Changing Our Food Systems
WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESSWIRE / January 14, 2025 / The year 2024 was the hottest year on record. For the first time the average global temperature rose to 1.6C above preindustrial levels, exceeding the 1.5C vital to preventing accelerating climate change. The effects of climate change are now visible on every continent.Image: www.freepik.com
Up to a third of global greenhouse gas production to date can be attributed to animal agriculture and food systems. Yet, most climate change solutions neglect the importance of food systems in climate change mitigation. In the article, ‘Solving Climate Change Requires Changing Our Food Systems,' published in leading scientific journal Oxford Open Climate Change, prominent scientists from around the world propose that the pressing nature of irreversible climate change requires rethinking our food systems.
Lead researcher Dr Feigin and her co-authors assert that "we must undertake a global shift to a fundamentally plant-based diet and a gradual global reduction and eventual phaseout of intensive factory farming, the most prolific and damaging form of agriculture."
Our growing demand for meat and animal products is unsustainable. The FAO estimates that demand for meat will double by 2050, which would require that approximately 80% of existing forests and shrubland would have to be converted into land devoted to raising animals. Such a trajectory would have devastating consequences for us and the planet.
"As the world population increases, food insecurity and starvation will intensify if we continue to rely on a model of food production (i.e. animal factory farming) which is extraordinarily inefficient and resource intensive", the study authors contend. The authors present strategies to achieve a re-thinking of current food systems including the removal of government subsidies and higher taxation of animal products to account for externalized costs of animal agriculture.
The health benefits and savings to healthcare costs of adopting a fundamentally plant-based diet are profound. Consumption of animal products contributes to the development of many chronic diseases. Moreover, "antibiotic-resistant infections in humans are associated with proximity to animal farms and are a global health threat, killing approximately 700,000 people worldwide annually," the authors declare. The proliferation of industrialized animal farming has brought us closer than ever before to the outbreaks of lethal human zoonoses such as avian influenza (bird flu) and H1N1 (swine flu) resulting from factory farming operations.
The authors suggest that plant-based diets pet foods should also be included in the global shift away from animal agriculture. Pet dogs and cats consume at least 9% of all livestock annually and nutritionally sound plant-based pet diets would free up large amounts of land which could be used for climate mitigation.
Critical changes to our food system and consumption habits will require a shift in global mindset - lead author Dr Feigin states, "the future of humanity and all life on our planet depends on sustainability, and the data indicate that we will not succeed on the issue of climate change unless we change the way that we produce and consume food."
Contact Information
Svetlana Feigin
Dr
sfeigin@alllifeinstitute.org
SOURCE: All Life Institute
View the original press release on accesswire.com
All Life Institute

Subscribe to releases from ACCESS Newswire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from ACCESS Newswire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from ACCESS Newswire
Latest GA Autonomous Jet Demo Features Live Air-to-Air Engagement Capability17.7.2025 18:10:00 CEST | Press release
Autonomous Tasking With TacACE and Optix.C2 Showcase Maturity and Operational Readiness SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / July 17, 2025 / General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and General Atomics Integrated Intelligence, Inc. (GA-Intelligence) successfully completed a groundbreaking demonstration on July 8, integrating technologies across multiple affiliates to showcase long-range kill chain effects, including an autonomous air-to-air engagement. The flight integrated local and global sensor fusion to deliver real-time situational awareness and autonomous tasking to an airborne MQ-20 Avenger® through the Tactical Autonomy Core Ecosystem (TacACE) to close the kill chain and showcase the system's maturity and operational readiness for the warfighter. The event featured the integration of a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), a fully compliant government-owned autonomy implementation, and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) Command and Control (C2). The MQ-20 unmanned jet,
Belgian Aircrew Completes MQ-9B Training17.7.2025 18:05:00 CEST | Press release
GA-ASI's MQ-9B SkyGuardian® Training Was Conducted at Multiple Sites, Including Flight Test & Training Center and Desert Horizon SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / July 17, 2025 / The first Belgian aircrew has completed training to operate the world's leading remotely piloted aircraft (RPA): the MQ-9B SkyGuardian®. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), designer and developer of the MQ-9B, provided the extensive aircrew training that culminated at GA-ASI's Desert Horizon test facility in El Mirage, California, following stops in Belgium and GA-ASI's Flight Test & Training Center in North Dakota. "Providing all-encompassing training for the aircrews of our customers goes hand in hand with delivering the world's most capable RPA," said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. "Completing this training ensures that Belgium is ready and able to operate their MQ-9Bs and maximize the benefits that come from long-range, high-endurance RPA." The scope of the training is focuse
A New Transatlantic Partnership for European CCA17.7.2025 18:00:00 CEST | Press release
General Atomics announces plans for rapid international uncrewed fighter development FAIRFORD, UK / ACCESS Newswire / July 17, 2025 / General Atomics is taking a bold step toward rapidly delivering a European Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) - based on a mature U.S. platform, assembled in Europe, with European mission systems - by aligning its independent U.S. and German aerospace affiliates under a teamed operation.YFQ-42A The new aircraft is derived from the U.S. Air Force's YFQ-42A prototype, currently in ground testing and scheduled for first flight later this summer, designed and built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) in San Diego, Calif. European mission system customization and manufacturing in Europe will be supported by General Atomics' German aerospace affiliate, General Atomics Aerotec Systems GmbH (GA-ATS), headquartered in Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich. Leveraging the prior investments of these established aerospace companies on both sides of the A
The Digital Banker17.7.2025 15:30:00 CEST | Press release
In this July 2025 article for the Fast Company Executive Board, Avtar Sehmbi of the Forbes Technology Council explains why Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) are increasingly positioned to lead the future of banking. LONDON, GB / ACCESS Newswire / July 17, 2025 / Artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies are reshaping banking by automating tasks, enhancing data analysis, and enabling personalized services. These tools improve risk management, streamline operations, and boost profitability. Institutions like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America are already leveraging AI for fraud detection, customer service, and advanced analytics. Meanwhile, AI-powered hedge funds and neobanks use technology to deliver tailored experiences and outperform their peers.Avtar Sehmbi The Digital Banker Fast Company Avtar Sehmbi the Digital banker This shift isn't theoretical; it's already well underway. Digital systems are fully embedded into the everyday operations of financial institutions,
Global Sports Brand U.S. Polo Assn. Launches First Retail Store in Berlin, Germany16.7.2025 16:37:00 CEST | Press release
Brand Targets Aggressive Retail, Wholesale and Ecommerce Expansion WEST PALM BEACH, FL AND BERLIN, GERMANY / ACCESS Newswire / July 16, 2025 / U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), is proud to announce its first retail store in Germany alongside its brand partners Incom S.p.a. and Modevertrieb Sarnacchiaro GmbH (MVS). The location of the first U.S. Polo Assn. store in the heart of Berlin is at the premier Alexa Mall at Alexanderplatz and marks the beginning of a strategic retail rollout across the country, which solidifies the multi-billion-dollar brand's global presence in Germany. The new Berlin store is offering a curated selection of men's, women's, undergarments, and beachwear collections - a perfect mix of sports heritage and contemporary spirit.U.S. Polo Assn. Executives J. Michael Prince, Antonio Sarnacchiaro, and Lorenzo Nencini with U.S. Polo Assn. Models U.S. Polo Assn. is a symbol of style that blends sports inspiration and authen
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom