11-May-2024-Editorial

WORLD BANK’S “RECIPE FOR A LIVABLE PLANET” REPORT 

The World Bank’s “Recipe for a Livable Planet” report provides a comprehensive framework for addressing the impact of the agrifood system on climate change.  

It emphasizes the urgent need for global action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food production while ensuring food security.  

Key Highlights of the Report: 

Reduction Potential and Benefits: 

• The global agrifood system has the potential to decrease nearly one-third of the world’s GHG emissions through feasible measures. 
• These measures not only mitigate climate change but also enhance food security and climate resilience, benefiting vulnerable communities. 

Agrifood’s Role in Climate Change: 

• Agrifood contributes approximately one-third of global GHG emissions, surpassing emissions from heat and electricity. 
• Developing countries account for three-quarters of these emissions, necessitating targeted mitigation actions tailored to regional needs. 
• Over half of these emissions originate beyond the farm level, emphasizing the importance of addressing the entire food value chain. 

Big Opportunities Highlighted: 

• The agrifood sector presents cost-effective opportunities for climate action, including carbon sequestration through enhanced land management. 
• Investing in agrifood emission reductions yields substantial returns, benefiting health, the economy, and the environment. 
• High-income countries can support lower-income nations through funding, technology transfer, and promoting dietary shifts towards lower-emission foods. 
• Middle-income countries can achieve emissions reductions through improved land use management and agricultural practices. 
• Low-income countries can pursue sustainable growth strategies, leveraging techniques like agroforestry to enhance productivity and resilience. 

Actions at Country and Global Levels: 

• Enhance private sector investment in agrifood mitigation and repurpose subsidies to favor low-emission technologies. 

• Utilize digital technologies for emissions data and innovate agrifood systems, ensuring inclusive stakeholder participation for a just transition. 

Key Highlights Related to India: 

Contribution to Global Agrifood Emissions: 

• India ranks among the top three countries in terms of annual agrifood system emissions, alongside China and Brazil. 

Cost-Effective Mitigation Potential: 

• India can achieve around 80% of its technical mitigation potential in agriculture through cost-saving measures. 
• This presents an opportunity to reduce emissions while enhancing agricultural productivity and incomes. 

Key Mitigation Options: 

• Implementing better livestock feeding and breeding practices, optimizing fertilizer management, and improving water management in water-intensive crops are key mitigation options for India. 
• Adoption of practices like intermittent irrigation and promoting low methane emitting crop varieties can effectively curb methane emissions. 
• Addressing food loss and waste, which is significant in India, provides another avenue for emission reduction. 

Need for International Support: 

• India requires international financial and technical assistance to realize its agrifood mitigation potential fully. 

Way Forward: 

Investments: 

• Governments and businesses should facilitate private climate investments in agrifood through blended finance mechanisms and corporate accountability. 

Incentives: 

• Policymakers should implement measures such as repurposing harmful subsidies to accelerate agrifood system transformation and ensure policy coherence. 

Information: 

• Improving GHG monitoring systems using digital technologies can facilitate climate finance for the agrifood sector. 

Innovation: 

• Expanding cost-effective mitigation technologies and increasing research and development investments can drive agrifood system transformation. 

Institutions: 

• International frameworks and national policies must align to facilitate agrifood mitigation opportunities effectively. 

Inclusion: 

• The transformation should prioritize a just transition, protecting vulnerable groups like smallholder farmers through stakeholder engagement and social empowerment.