Feeding Climate Change: What the Paris Agreement means for food and beverage companies
This policy paper (PDF) by Oxfam presents new data commissioned from the research consultancy CE Delft on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprints and water scarcity footprints of major food commodities. The data demonstrate the vital role the food and beverage industry can and must play in turning the Paris Agreement into a springboard for the stronger climate action needed. The Paris Agreement marked a major breakthrough in support for climate action from many parts of the business community, including from key actors in the food and beverage sector. But despite significant progress, much work remains both to cut greenhouse gas emissions and to support the millions of people already hit by climate change. The first section of this paper provides an overview of how food production and climate change are intertwined. The second section looks at what the Paris Agreement on mitigation means for food and beverage companies, including new research on the GHG footprints of specific food commodities. The third section asks the same question about climate change adaptation, presents new research on the contribution of food commodities to regional water scarcity, and explores how food and beverage companies can support small-scale farmers to strengthen their resilience to climate shocks. The final section offers a set of specific post-Paris policy recommendations to the food and beverage industry on both climate mitigation and adaptation. This interactive data tool can be used to explore the greenhouse gas emissions, water scarcity footprints and production levels for 17 different food commodities.