Publication Abstracts
Karl et al. 2025
, F.N. Tubiello, M. Crippa, J. Poore, M.N. Hayek, P. Benoit, M. Chen, M. Corbeels, A. Flammini, S. Garland, A. Leip, S.C. McClelland, , D. Sandalow, R. Quadrelli, T.B. Sapkota, and , 2025: Harmonizing food systems emissions accounting for more effective climate action. Environ. Res. Food Syst., 2, no. 1, 015001, doi:10.1088/2976-601X/ad8fb3.
Food systems — encompassing activities in food production, land-use change, supply chains and waste management — contribute significantly to climate change. Recent estimates indicate that food systems produce over 30% of annual anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (about 20% of CO2, 50% of CH4, and 75% of N2O), with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimating a notably broad range of 23%-42% of global GHG emissions. This paper synthesizes current research on the contributions of food systems to climate change, highlights challenges in quantifying their impact and proposes a harmonized accounting framework for more effective climate action. We recommend that an expert committee aligned with the IPCC develop guidance for food systems emissions accounting in four key areas, including: (1) defining system boundaries and nomenclature; (2) developing protocols to allocate broader sectoral emissions to food systems; (3) prioritizing critical areas for research into activity data and emissions factors; and (4) developing a balanced framework for evaluating the impact of mitigation interventions in light of other food systems imperatives. The committee should be integrated into two key international policy processes — the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Food Systems Summit — to support coordinated action towards global net-zero goals. Guidance from the committee could significantly improve the ability of governments, companies, and researchers to estimate, report, monitor and ultimately reduce the climate impacts of food systems.
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BibTeX Citation
@article{ka07500f,
author={Karl, K. and Tubiello, F. N. and Crippa, M. and Poore, J. and Hayek, M. N. and Benoit, P. and Chen, M. and Corbeels, M. and Flammini, A. and Garland, S. and Leip, A. and McClelland, S. C. and Mencos Contreras, E. and Sandalow, D. and Quadrelli, R. and Sapkota, T. B. and Rosenzweig, C.},
title={Harmonizing food systems emissions accounting for more effective climate action},
year={2025},
journal={Environmental Research: Food Systems},
volume={2},
number={1},
pages={015001},
doi={10.1088/2976-601X/ad8fb3},
}
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RIS Citation
TY - JOUR ID - ka07500f AU - Karl, K. AU - Tubiello, F. N. AU - Crippa, M. AU - Poore, J. AU - Hayek, M. N. AU - Benoit, P. AU - Chen, M. AU - Corbeels, M. AU - Flammini, A. AU - Garland, S. AU - Leip, A. AU - McClelland, S. C. AU - Mencos Contreras, E. AU - Sandalow, D. AU - Quadrelli, R. AU - Sapkota, T. B. AU - Rosenzweig, C. PY - 2025 TI - Harmonizing food systems emissions accounting for more effective climate action JA - Environ. Res. Food Syst. JO - Environmental Research: Food Systems VL - 2 IS - 1 SP - 015001 DO - 10.1088/2976-601X/ad8fb3 ER -
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