Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
3.8 GtCO2eq per year can be stored in the soil for less than USD 100 per ton, equivalent to more than 1 Gt of solid carbon (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).
52% of the world's agricultural soils are considered carbon depleted (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).
16% of agricultural methane emissions and 1.5% of anthropogenic GHG emissions come from rice paddy production (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).
20% of the world's calories come from rice (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).
20% to 60% would increase meat prices if they reflected their true health, climate and environmental costs (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).
60% of total agri-food emissions come from the demand for animal-based diets (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).
36 kg of beef per person per year is consumed in North America, four times the world average of 9 kg (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).
46% of agri-food emissions in high-income countries come from out-of-production processes, compared to 35% in middle-income countries and 6% in low-income countries (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).
85 gigatons of CO₂ could be sequestered with efficient land use, equivalent to more than 1.5 years of global emissions, with no negative economic impact (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).
USD 329 billion annually could be generated with climate-smart practices, ensuring food security until 2050 without affecting biodiversity and carbon (Sutton, Lotsch & Prasann, 2024).