UNFSS Action Track 2 Update: Strong focus on a Just Rural Transition

Last night, or earlier today for those in the Northern Hemisphere, Global Meat Alliance sat on the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) Action Track 2 Public Forum which was an update on solutions so far and a chance to pose questions and provide feedback. The conveners told us there were around 400 people on the call and they had received around 400 game changing solutions so far.  

The session was chaired by Ajay Vir Jakhar, Action Track 2 Vice Chair/citrus farmer, and after a short update form Action Track 2 Chair, Gunhild Stordalen, founder of Eat Lancet, we heard from a number of panelists via a lightening round of updates. Within these updates, it was stated that 86% of dairy and meat companies are not reporting their emissions and that 70% are at risk for exposing us to the next pandemic. A participant requested, via the chat, the source of this information with this link given as a response. Reduced meat consumption was mentioned at various times throughout these updates, more so than any other specific action.  

Following the lightning round, three others were asked to share their game changing solutions to the group. The first ‘cab off the rank’ was framed as a ‘solution that is extremely popular and gaining a lot of traction’ that is, a Just Rural Transition.
Which essentially is, ‘a just transformation away from livestock production to solve climate crisis and bring about numerous environmental, health and socio-economic benefits.’ This would see a significant reduction in animal protein production and consumption with those working in the existing supply chains converting to growing plant-based foods. This was presented by Lasse Bruun (50by40 CEO)  who explained he floated this idea at COP in 2015 and at the time was pretty much considered a ‘laughing stock’. However, as claimed by Lasse, today this idea is a welcome answer to tackling the problems the UNFSS is aiming to solve.

Lasse went on to explain ‘what problems the solution would solve’, covering climate emergency, environmental degradation, antimicrobial resistance, infection disease (pandemics), chronic and noncommunicable diseases and unjust global nutrition distribution. Alongside the familiar claims of a plant-based diet, that being environmentally and nutritionally better, there was quite a focus on job creation via a transition, with Lasse claiming that this solution would create 19 million jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean alone. In addition, an argument emerged from the panellists that this solution would also have a huge benefit to food security, arguing that a huge amount of crops are going direct to animals by way of feed which is ‘an inefficient way to produce food’. It was also stated the majority of herbicide and pesticide use was on crops that were destined to feed animals.  

A participant asked about how a plant-based diet could address nutritional deficiencies such as anemia (the largest nutritional insufficiency in the world) and a UNFSS representative answered that a plant rich diet is recommended and that animal source foods can be an important option, notably when produced with regenerative practices. However, it was still included in the response that vegan and vegetarian can be healthy options when well balanced, and benefit from supplementation. Another, asked why we weren’t looking to innovation to create ‘more sustainable livestock production’ with Lasse making it clear that in his mind the solution is not to fix the current system or in his words ‘clean it up’, rather it’s about the reduction or elimination of our current systems and focusing on new ones.  

Lasse noted that in order to achieve this solution, the onus would be on G20 countries to lead the transition and the development of a set of global multidisciplinary policy measures. Country-specific transition roadmaps would be key to this.  

The other two solutions shared were around a Food Systems Framework where National Action Plans incorporate key criteria such as climate, biodiversity and public health goals; followed by policy interventions with new technology to address food waste.  

Overall, the conversation was weighted heavily to the reduction of animal agriculture and the adoption of EAT-Lancet based planetary health diets. It’s safe to say, the tone, the direction and the agenda seems to have been set.

The recording will be shared on the UNFSS platform shortly, we’ll include a link here once it’s made available.