Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
Food value chains support 800 million livelihoods, mostly in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture (Blue Food Assessment, 2021).
Around 3.4 billion people, 45 percent of the global population, live in rural areas of developing countries, and most depend on smallholder farms for their livelihoods and sustenance (IFAD, n.d.).
43% of the world's agricultural labor force is made up of women, who play key roles in food production, processing, marketing and consumption.
86% of endangered species, or 24,000 out of 28,000, are threatened by agriculture, which is the main driver of biodiversity loss.
30% of the world's energy is used by food systems, which generate about 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to the use of fossil fuels.
733 million people worldwide live without access to electricity, and 2.4 billion use harmful fuels for cooking, affecting their health and the environment.
2.4 billion people in rural communities rely on biomass, such as charcoal, straw or firewood, for cooking due to lack of access to clean solutions (OECD, 2024).
3.2 million deaths annually, nearly half of all air pollution deaths, are caused by indoor pollution from open fires or cooking and heating stoves.
The food system has become more “global”, as exports from developing countries and emerging economies made up more than one-third of global agri-food exports by 2018 with around a third of global agricultural and food exports traded within global value chains
Overall, global finance is not working for people or the planet. Food systems generate US$12 trillion in hidden social, economic and environmental costs.
