Changes in climate, biodiversity, and human wellbeing are closely connected and all have effects on each other. This is particularly clear when looking at agriculture, which plays a critical role in our food, land, and water systems. The global food system currently causes about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and drives huge biodiversity losses, while still leaving 2 billion people with unhealthy diets, even as 40% of all food produced is wasted or goes uneaten. Ironically, many farmers around the world are some of the most vulnerable populations struggling to make ends meet and are often themselves without access to nutritious diets, even as they play such a pivotal role in producing foods and managing landscapes for the world’s population. In short, the way we currently feed ourselves is unsustainable for both people and the planet.
Our food, land and water systems thereby also offer a huge opportunity space to act upon these multiple challenges simultaneously, and global and local movements around the world are calling for food and agricultural systems transformation to help solve some of these critical issues. The interactive learning modules here highlight and reflect on insights, tools, actions and ways forward for how we can actively strengthen co-benefits (synergies) and better anticipate and manage conflicting goals and unintended negative consequences (trade offs) between social and ecological goals of food, land and water systems.
