No country in the world is projected to meet the internationally agreed 2030 greenhouse gas emissions targets from food production, the latest study from the Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) has revealed.

The indicator ‘greenhouse gas emissions from food systems’ has one of the largest gaps, with the global average 75% away from the target.

No country in the world will meet the target at its current pace, according to the report, with food systems emissions change requiring annual reductions in excess of 60%, which it said is challenging even for 2050.

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Covering 197 countries and 44 indicators across five themes, the study is the most comprehensive performance assessment of food systems to date.

Dramatic changes needed

The urgent need for accelerated action across all sectors is highlighted in the report, with most regions in the world needing dramatic annual changes to achieve 2030 targets.

Asia will have to cut food insecurity by over 63% every year to achieve the targets, while Africa will require at least a 15 to 20% improvement across 23 indicators annually to reach its goals.

In Europe, 19 indicators remain unattainable by 2030.

Wrong direction

Not only is progress slow, but agricultural water withdrawal, pesticide use and changes in emissions from food systems are moving in the wrong direction.

The report calls for focus on indicators where progress is most off track, namely food affordability, food insecurity, government effectiveness and food systems emissions.

“Accountability for food systems transformation requires accelerated progress - without it, efforts risk becoming performative rather than transformative,” said Mario Herrero, professor at the Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment in Cornell University.

“We can no longer afford to continue at the present pace.”

Benchmark

Lead author Bianca Carducci said this paper is different because it doesn't just tell countries whether they're moving in the right direction, "it tells them how far they still have to go, and against a benchmark that's actually within reach”.

“That distinction between tracking trends and measuring performance is what turns a monitoring exercise into a tool for accountability.”

José Rosero Moncayo, FAO’s chief statistician and director of the statistics division said:

“Our global food systems demand urgent, decisive action, starting now."

The Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) is a global interdisciplinary research collaboration co-led by Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.