Human land use needs to change radically according to UN climate report

Last Thursday, the UN climate organization IPCC presented a new report on the interaction between climate change and human land use. The main conclusion of the report is that there will be a global food shortage between 2050 and 2100 due to climate change. Current human land use and food waste plays a crucial role in this. A radical change in human land use is necessary, according to IPCC, if we are to halt climate change, secure food supply and protect remaining biodiversity.

In the report, IPCC warns of the major impacts on agriculture and the global food supply due to, among other things, desertification. Climate change and unsustainable land use amplify each other's effects and cause agricultural land to deteriorate, threatening to reduce average food production per hectare. A single measure is not sufficient to address the entire problem. It is therefore necessary to look at the big picture: emissions from transport, industry, the energy sector and making human land use more sustainable.

Solutions through healthy soil

According to the IPCC, humans have 72% of the total available land area on Earth in intensive use, a quarter of which is degraded land. This means that more agricultural land is needed to meet the (increasing) food demand. This automatically leads to the destruction of remaining natural areas. While these natural areas are precisely what is needed to combat climate change and to maintain biodiversity. The report also mentions a number of solutions, such as reducing the food demand through a more plant-based diet, less food waste and sustainable land use, preventing soil depletion.

One popular solution is the introduction of biofuels. However, IPCC reports in the report that the growing demand for biofuels actually requires more agricultural land than humans are already using.

The Netherlands on the right track

According to professor of food technology at the WUR, Louise Fresco and Chris de Visser, the agricultural sector and agricultural education have already thought of various ways to increase food production in a sustainable way. The university is engaged in a trial of strip cultivation. Different crops are grown in strips next to each other, which means that diseases in crops are less likely to spread, as is the case with monoculture. Bermflowers help to protect crops against diseases and pests, reduce the need for pesticides and stimulate biodiversity. The yield per crop can be up to 25 percent higher than with mono-farming. The disadvantage of strip farming is that it is still labor-intensive. Deployment of drones or robots should change this in the future.

Counteracting food waste

A Dutchman annually throws away an average of 41 kilos of food. By preventing food waste as much as possible and dealing cleverly with residual flows, both producers and consumers can already contribute. The WUR estimates that 40 to 50 percent less food waste is feasible. Companies in the chain will have to work together to come up with smart solutions. In the Netherlands and in Limburg you can find many inspiring examples of how to reduce waste. You can read all about it in the background article on Kiempunt.

Disagreement over right solutions

At the climate conference, countries are divided over the solution to the climate problem. Countries with large remaining areas of forest are arguing for a greater role for biofuels in international climate policy, while countries with drought and desertification are opposing this. They mostly argue for reforestation.

The Netherlands leading in sustainable farming

LLTB spokesman Roel Boots says farmers are already doing very well in terms of innovation and sustainability. "In the period 1990-2016, farmers were responsible for 19 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. In 2016, 81 percent of farmers were self-sufficient in energy. Farmers will continue to innovate, especially around soil conditions." The LLTB is a funder of the soil lectureship at HAS University of Applied Sciences. "The soil is the basis for farmers and market gardeners, therefore the LLTB and our members think it is important to invest in it. The most efficient and sustainable farmers in the world are in the Netherlands. The whole world looks with respect at how our farmers and horticulturists do business."

Also Hubert Mackus, deputy for agriculture, is positive about the steps that Limburg farmers, horticulturists and other agrofood professionals are taking around sustainability and smart use of residual streams. "Farmers, food manufacturers, other industry, they see more and more opportunities to achieve new, sustainable solutions through cooperation and innovation. Every link in the chain also forms a piece of the solution."

Sources: Limburger, Nu.nl, NOS, IPCC, LLTB