From devastating floods to debilitating droughts, in 2023 the world witnessed an unprecedented increase in extreme weather and record heat. Methane emissions, with 80 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide, are projected to cause significant temperature increases in the next two decades. Approximately 60% of annual anthropogenic methane emissions originate from the global food system — particularly livestock, food loss and waste, and rice cultivation.
The urgent nutrition crisis is likewise apparent. The Food and Agriculture Organization reports over 3.1 billion people globally cannot afford a nutritious diet, 30% of the world population experiences moderate or severe food insecurity, and diet-related chronic disease prevalence increasingly skyrockets.
Accelerating food-system produced methane reduction, while critical, must recognize and accommodate the complex health, particularly nutrition, implications such solutions will deliver.