According to a 2021 study, the food system accounts for 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with double coming from animal-based foods. And, as Gafsen says, the single most impactful change an individual can make is to reduce meat consumption.
That said, climate change still has two primary ramifications for the plant-based sector.
On one hand, the industry is concerned with its prevention, a factor many consumers consider. And on the other, it also constrains the industry through its impact on production and increased unpredictability.
The two are interlinked, with the former impacting the latter significantly. According to research going as far back as 2007, roughly 30% of yearly fluctuations in tonnes of crops grown per hectare were caused by climate change.
Consequently, yield growth for maize, wheat, and other crops have been in decline due to severe weather, droughts, and extreme heat.
The UN Foundation reported that, in absence of effective adaptation, global yields could decline by up to 30% by 2050, having severe implications for regions around the world.
Moreover, along with those in rich countries experiencing food issues, price inflation, and potential supply chain issues, those in countries already engulfed in conflict, pollution, deforestation, and famine are likely to suffer most.
This has implications for the plant-based industry, despite its good intentions of mitigating against it.
Firstly, rising temperatures will have a profound impact on production reliability, as noted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, meaning companies may experience sporadic periods of low profits due to less-than-optimal temperatures for growing crops.
Secondly, increased rainfall can result in land degradation, making soil less productive and nutrient-dense.
And lastly, rising sea levels can result in saltwater intrusions and flooding, which can be extremely damaging to crops.
To assess the relative impact on production capabilities, researchers at NASA Ames Research Center and Northeastern University assessed the weather impact on crop yield using maize as an example, giving an indication of potential effects on other crops, such as legumes and botanicals.
Do supplement shoppers care about carbon certification?
The results showed a high degree of susceptibility of crop yield to extreme weather, and that information contained in extreme weather indices – such as heat wave index, longest dry and wet spell, and summer days – were found to be equal to, or greater than, those contained in the mean weather indices, a relative measure of weather conditions.
Thus, making an argument for their inclusion as predictors in crop yield monitoring due the significant impacts of extreme weather on production.
So, achieving carbon-neutral production strategies should be a key concern for not just industries with larger footprints – such animal-derived food production – but all producers.
Naturally, plant-based food and supplement producers have a head start, with lower footprints due to the nature of their products. But still, producing food in and of itself is usually carbon-intensive and brands should continue looking for innovative ways to make products more sustainable while promoting plant-based diets to capture new consumers.
For example, Gafsen highlights achieving BCorp certification as one way to become more sustainable. This provides an accountability mechanism for brands whereby a stringent process is taken to measure companies' social and environmental impacts.
Additionally, considering net-zero goals and international treaties such as the Paris Agreement, states are now considering legislation which calls for government-sanctioned projects to support decarbonisation, placing potential legal burdens on companies.
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