A new United Nations report, released this week, shows that global food and agriculture systems have hidden environmental, social, and health costs worth at least $10 trillion — nearly 10% of global gross domestic product. If we want to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss and transform our food systems for good, we must move beyond traditional success metrics and use true cost accounting to measure the hidden costs of the global food system.
Despite forming the bedrock of our society — providing jobs for 4 in every 10 people around the world and generating 12% of global GDP — the State of Food And Agriculture 2023 report shows that our food system has huge hidden costs. The rapid growth in modern industrialized food and farming systems has caused significant social, economic, and environmental harm.
Our food system is now the primary driver of global biodiversity loss, responsible for around one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and closely linked to poor public health outcomes such as diet-related heart disease and increased risk of cancer. Instead of sustaining and nourishing us, our food system is making us, and the planet, sick.
About the authors
Alexander Müller
Alexander Müller is the founder of TMG Think Tank for Sustainability. He has vast experience in global sustainability governance, including as former FAO assistant director-general; Germany’s state secretary for consumer protection, food and agriculture; chair of the U.N. Standing Committee on Nutrition; and lead at TEEBAgriFood, among others.
Jenn Yates
Jenn Yates is director of the TCA Accelerator. She previously led initiatives that created tipping points for transformative change as executive director at Real Food for Kids, and manager of food and agriculture advocacy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Jenn holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University.
