Agriculture, livestock, fisheries and the environment: the modern challenges of food production [fr]

Agriculture, fisheries, livestock and forests are at the heart of the preservation of biodiversity and the sustainability of natural resources. These sectors are both a threat to the environment (21% of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to the agricultural and forestry sectors and 14.5% to livestock) and among the first to be impacted by the degradation and scarcity of natural resources, pollution, soil erosion and the effects of climate change.

The challenges of sustainable food production and the commitment of UN agencies

The agricultural sector

Agricultural land represents nearly 35% of the earth’s surface not covered by ice and as such is a key area for ensuring both the sustainability of environmental balances and the maintenance of sufficient food production. Today, the agricultural sector is exposed to numerous challenges, including soil desertification, disruption of the water cycle, climate disasters, land impoverishment and pollution, and biodiversity erosion.

The agricultural sector itself is characterized by a great diversity of production types and producer profiles. Family farms account for 90% of the world’s agricultural holdings and produce 80% of the world’s food, in terms of economic value. Yet, it is also family farmers who are the most vulnerable to food insecurity in the world. As agriculture is often the main source of food and income for rural communities, the resilience of production systems is therefore an essential lever for fighting poverty, reducing inequalities and strengthening food security.

Agriculture is also a key sector for developing more sustainable water resource management. Indeed, the 2020 edition of the FAO’s annual report on "The State of Food and Agriculture in the World" estimates that the agricultural sector accounts for 70% of freshwater consumption and that irrigated agriculture produces 40% of the world’s food. Access to water resources is also marked by strong inequalities between actors, which mainly affect small producers with few technical means to capture and store water. Certain modes of production are also more vulnerable: nearly half of the world’s rainfed land is still subject to low production levels and increasing irregularity. Globally, nearly 1.2 billion people, or one-sixth of the world’s population, live in agricultural areas with very high water constraints.

Agriculture has a key role to play in preserving forests, biodiversity and soils. According to a 2015 FAO report, 33% of soils are moderately or severely degraded due to the combined effects of erosion, salinization, compaction and pollution. Yet, soils are vital for agriculture and an ally in the fight against global warming: rich and well-structured soils facilitate the infiltration of surface water as well as its filtration and constitute an immense carbon reservoir. Losses in grain production attributed to soil erosion are estimated at 7.6 billion tons per year. Finally, the maintenance of a rich biodiversity in soils protects them from erosion or compaction, improves their fertility and participates in the degradation of contaminants.

The commitment of the Roman agencies

FAO’s mandate is to work towards inclusive and sustainable agricultural development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions, to contribute to raising the level of nutrition and living conditions of populations. It promotes agricultural production that respects biodiversity and soil and is resilient to climate change. FAO also provides access to quality and freely available data on world agricultural production, trade in agricultural commodities, natural resources and ecosystems. As a platform for scientific knowledge, FAO offers technical assistance to member countries and provides them with a large number of documents recommending good agricultural practices. As an example, FAO published in 2019 an international code of conduct for the management and sustainable use of fertilizers. Other products are negotiated and adopted by member states in the framework of FAO or CFS forums. In 2020, the Member States adopted a document proposing Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition, intended to guide actors to implement more sustainable agricultural practices.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) also promotes the development of sustainable agricultural models. It works primarily with small and vulnerable producers, paying particular attention to the inclusion of women and youth and to the adaptation of food systems to climate change.

The Climate Change Adaptation Fund for Smallholder Farmers is one of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) instruments for developing sustainable agriculture.

Fisheries and aquaculture

Fish consumption in the world is growing faster than meat consumption and has more than doubled between 1990 and 2018, according to the Global Report on the State of Fisheries and Aquaculture. This is due to the rapid expansion of aquaculture, which accounted for 47% of total fish production in 2018 (FAO). The sector employs 190 million people worldwide, the overwhelming majority of whom are small-scale farmers.

Fishing is threatened by climate change which disrupts underwater life, species reproduction and dries up lakes and rivers. According to the FAO, 34% of fish species were fished in a biologically unsustainable manner in 2017, compared to 10% in 1990. Some fishing practices considerably pollute the waters, endangering biodiversity and marine ecosystems.

The commitment of Roman agencies

In order to address these challenges, FAO is working with many member states to implement a more sustainable management of the seas and oceans. It measures and informs on the state of biodiversity and formulates recommendations to preserve it. FAO also participates in the working group on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. FAO also supports projects aimed at preserving small-scale and artisanal fisheries, a sector that is essential to ensure the sustainable preservation of fisheries resources while guaranteeing the food security of the populations that depend on them.

IFAD has been investing about 8% of its resources in the fisheries sector for 39 years. It helps the most vulnerable populations to invest in aquaculture in order to reduce poverty and food insecurity, while developing sustainable and environmentally friendly projects.

WFP supports food insecure populations in improving their income by increasing productivity or creating fish farming activities. This helps to fight against poverty and malnutrition.

The livestock sector

Livestock is a key element in food security, nutrition of the most vulnerable populations and poverty reduction. It is sometimes the only income for marginalized rural populations and/or those deprived of access to land (especially women). This fast-growing sub-sector represents about 30% of the GDP attributed to agriculture.

Nevertheless, livestock farming is responsible for 14.5% of GHGs due to transportation, animal feed production and methane emissions from ruminant digestion. Furthermore, livestock farming is demanding in vegetal and hydric contributions. In addition, the livestock sector is impacted by climate change both directly (heat stress, increased animal mortality) and indirectly, with droughts having a clear impact on fodder and water resources for animals. Finally, epizootics affecting livestock constitute both a sanitary and economic threat to the sustainability of the livestock sector and the populations that depend on it.

The commitment of the Roman agencies

FAO supports research and disseminates knowledge on how to reduce the negative environmental consequences of livestock production and associated diseases and zoonoses, so that each State can implement public policies adapted to its local needs and contexts. It provides tools to measure the carbon footprint of livestock production, assists countries in the design and implementation of sustainable livestock policies, and facilitates dialogue among stakeholders. The Animal Health Service of FAO’s Animal Production and Health Division (AGA) provides detailed guidance on good veterinary practices to improve and/or maintain the overall health status of a country.

IFAD implements projects that enable rural households to acquire livestock while adopting environmentally friendly practices through training. This can lead, for example, to shared and sustainable pasture management.

The forestry sector

Forest conservation is crucial to address climate change, freshwater scarcity and biodiversity loss.

The estimates presented in the FAO State of the World’s Forests 2020 report suggest that about one third of humanity is closely dependent on forests and forest products. In addition, trees and vegetation limit the progression of desertification and allow good infiltration of water into the soil. Forest watersheds provide about 75% of the world’s accessible freshwater resources, on which more than half of the world’s people depend. Forests provide a vital environment that is necessary for agriculture to be properly managed. They are essential allies in the fight against climate change, capturing carbon in their biomass and soils.

The very rich forest ecosystems cover more than 30% of the earth’s surface and forests are unique reservoirs of biodiversity: more than 75% of bird species, 68% of mammal species and 94% of plant species. However, every second, the equivalent of a soccer field of tropical rainforest disappears. The four million hectares of rainforest destroyed in 2020 released 2.64 gigatons of CO2, equivalent to the annual emissions of 570 million cars. Industrial agriculture is mostly responsible for this alarming situation: between 2000 and 2010, it was responsible for 40% of tropical deforestation.

The commitment of the Roman agencies

The 2020 edition of the State of the World’s Forests report, produced by the FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme, stresses the need to act now to protect biodiversity and the people who depend on them. The FAO has a forestry department whose main objective is to promote sustainable management by member states.

IFAD has taken up this challenge by developing projects that include tree planting to restore soil and better conserve water. It also helps rural populations by promoting income-generating activities linked to the sustainable exploitation of the forest.

WFP invests in reforestation to address the vulnerability of populations to climate change and food insecurity. As part of its "food assistance for community assets" programs, WFP enabled a small reforestation of 4,000 hectares in 2018.

France’s investment in the transformation of agriculture towards more sustainable and resilient models

Towards a more sustainable French agriculture: renewal of the CAP and adoption of the law for the future of French agriculture

Implemented in 1962 to respond to post-war food shortages, the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has undergone certain reorientations to adapt to the challenges faced by European agriculture. In January 2023, a new reform of the CAP will come into force, designed to take better account of environmental and climate challenges. It aims to foster a sustainable and competitive agricultural sector that can make a significant contribution to the Green Pact for Europe, in particular with regard to the "farm to table" strategy and the EU’s biodiversity strategy. In particular, the proposals aim to: ensure fair conditions and a stable economic future for farmers, set higher ambitions for environmental and climate action, keep agriculture at the heart of European society.

At the national level, France adopted the Law on the Future of Agriculture, Food and Forestry in October 2014. It implements agro-ecology approaches in French farms, with the aim of improving their economic, environmental and social performance. In 2018, the Agriculture and Food Law was enacted, which pursues three objectives: to pay producers a fair price to allow them to live with dignity from their work, to strengthen the sanitary, environmental and nutritional quality of products, and to promote healthy, safe and sustainable food for all.

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has a similar objective of guaranteeing the sustainability of fishing. It sets catch thresholds so as not to harm the reproduction of species and attempts to limit techniques that result in the discarding of unwanted catches.

Sustainable agriculture in French development cooperation policy

Faced with the many challenges facing agriculture, in particular the sustainable management of natural resources (soil, forests, water, biodiversity, genetic resources), France’s priorities are to improve scientific knowledge, make research results available and valorize them, and ensure regional and international coordination of policies for sustainable agricultural production.

The promotion of sustainable development in developing countries is the general objective of French cooperation (cf. art. 1 of the law of July 7, 2014 on the orientation and programming of development policy and international solidarity). It is the common denominator of all operational actions undertaken by the French Development Agency (AFD), which was one of the first international donors to integrate the fight against climate change into its practices. AFD has placed the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement (2015) at the heart of its mandate: all its financing must now be compatible with low-carbon and resilient development.

France is in line with the actions undertaken in favor of the FAO and with a view to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of food security, agro-ecology and biodiversity preservation.

In 2021, France will provide the FAO with 15 scientific experts, allowing it to provide recognized expertise in these sectors. French research institutes in the field of agriculture (in particular CIRAD, INRAe, IRD, Agreenium) maintain numerous partnerships with FAO in areas such as sustainable food systems in a context of climate change or biodiversity preservation.

In 2020, France has renewed its commitment alongside the FAO in favor of innovation, the transition to more sustainable agriculture, the resilience of food systems in the face of sanitary and phytosanitary risks, but also Africa and innovative programs for women and small island states. It will also contribute to the development of a tool to value the triple performance of agroecological practices.
France is involved with FAO in 5 areas of interest:
  To improve the coherence of food security and nutrition policies and their effective implementation by States, in particular to encourage responsible investments, within the framework of strengthened global governance.
  Strengthen the multiple economic, social and environmental performance of food systems and territories, in particular to contribute to the creation of rural employment and improve farmers’ incomes.
  Strengthen plant, animal and food safety to contribute to improved global health.
  Build resilience in vulnerable populations and improve crisis prevention and management.
  Contribute to the implementation of FAO’s climate strategy, with a view to implementing the Paris Agreement.

France also encourages WFP and IFAD to consolidate the transition to sustainable food and agricultural systems through the adoption of relevant policies and their implementation on the ground and the integration of agricultural resilience in programs. French agricultural research is working closely with the three Roman agencies to understand the modern challenges of food production. IFAD is stepping up its investment in innovative and digital solutions that will meet the urgent needs of the institution’s local partners in the field and project participants.

The UN Food Systems Summit, in which the Roman agencies are fully invested and which will be held in September 2021, should encourage States to make ambitious commitments aimed at transforming food production and consumption patterns on a global scale. The overall objective is to help the various stakeholders to better appreciate the complex issues affecting the future of food systems and to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).