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Credit Suisse: more than 30% of global food output is consumed and wasted

Published: 2024-11-06 Author: mysheen
Last Updated: 2024/11/06, Credit Suisse Research Institute released a report entitled "Global Food system: exploring Sustainable Development Solutions," pointing out that more than 30% of the world's total food production is consumed and wasted. If the sustainability of the global food system is to be enhanced, then it is necessary to turn to a plant-based diet.

Credit Suisse Research Institute released the Global Food System: Searching for Sustainable Development Solutions report, saying that more than 30% of the world's total food production is lost and wasted, and if we want to enhance the sustainability of the global food system, we must turn to plant-based diets.

Nearly 700 million people are malnourished, while 40 percent of adults worldwide are overweight or obese. Malnutrition is not the only reason the global food system is in dire need of change. Food production and consumption already account for more than 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and more than 90 per cent of the world's freshwater consumption.

If no action is taken, the environmental impact of the global food system will worsen significantly in the coming decades. By 2050, the global population will approach the 10 billion mark, and the human diet will change further, especially for the growing middle class, food-related greenhouse gas emissions will increase by 46%, and agricultural land demand will increase by 49%. This runs counter to the environmental goal of achieving net zero global emissions by 2050.

Studies show that plant-based foods not only emit 90 percent less greenhouse gas than the current average diet, but also have the potential to reduce premature adult deaths by about 11 million. Animal protein alternatives have enormous potential, with the market for alternative meat and dairy products estimated to grow from about $14 billion today to $1.4 trillion by 2050.

 
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