Our food systems are failing us. Over 800 million people are suffering from hunger, while 13% of the world’s population are obese. So what is to blame?

Agricultural production follows the money. And 87% of the $540 billion given to agricultural producers each year is either price distorting or harmful to nature and human health. So what we can do to fix it?

Listen to our latest #podcast to find out! We discuss how #foodsystems transformation can generate system-wide benefits while protecting farmers, consumers and nature ?

Co-produced with UNDP and UNEP. Listen below:

? Spotify spoti.fi/3xkXt91
? Apple apple.co/30XUDug
? Or search for The Green Renaissance wherever you get your podcasts.

To read UNDP, UNEP and FAO's new report, which provides many of the answers in this month's episode, click here ? bit.ly/3DRrks9

Fertile soils produce 95% of our food, regulate water cycles, support vital waterways and mitigate climate change by storing 80% of carbon, but unsustainable human activity is degrading soils at alarming rates.

Soil salinization and sodification are major soil degradation processes threatening ecosystem and are recognized as being among the most important problems for agricultural production, food security and sustainability.

Following World Soil Day 2021 - which was celebrated yesterday on the 5th of December - let's raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, fighting soil salinization, increasing soil awareness and encouraging societies to improve soil health.

Prime minister Narendra Modi has big plans to expand palm oil production in the region, saying it can be a “gamechanger” for the economy and boost the nation’s self-reliance. But in areas that have pioneered palm oil production, it has brought little wealth at a heavy cost for the environment and workers.

Experts warn that the policy is likely to drive deforestation, putting India’s wildlife and climate goals at risk, while disempowering women.

“In monoculture farming women are the ones who are at loss, primarily because it takes place in big chunks of lands which are mostly entitled to the male’s name. The cash which comes from monoculture farming comes in bulk and goes to the men in the family, so there is less petty cash left for the woman in the house.”

Two weeks after world leaders signed a plan at Cop26 to reverse deforestation at Cop26, the EU executive on Wednesday outlined a draft law requiring companies to prove that agricultural commodities destined for the bloc’s 450 million consumers were not linked to deforestation.

Indeed, the proposal would give a strong signal to major supermarkets and retailers: one of the largest economies in the world simply won’t accept agricultural products linked to deforestation.

However, as we legislate import bans, we must also keep in mind the social and economic wellbeing implications for the people sustained by these commodities.

Do you know what are the 5 ecosystems where nature-based solutions can deliver the highest benefits?

1. Forests --> where the most is at stake
2. Peatlands --> Earth’s most potent carbon stores
3. Farmlands --> where carbon feeds humanity
4. Oceans and coasts --> the many benefits of mangroves
5. Cities --> the urban frontier of climate change

Check this article to find out more!

With two billion cups consumed each day, it makes coffee the most popular drink in the world. It's only natural to ask if and how the warming global temperatures affect coffee farmers and plantations. What does the future hold for coffee?

If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest source of GHG emissions on the planet, of which 61% comes from households. Meanwhile, according to FAO, more than 800 million people are undernourished while 2 billion are micronutrient deficient.

In the lead up to the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September, check out these 12 apps that help prevent household food waste and protect the planet.

How will we feed a growing population? Some say we must grow more food. But another part of the answer is that we must reduce how much food is lost or wasted from farm to fork. Today, 40% of food grown never gets eaten—1 billion more tonnes (1.1 billion tons) of food than previously estimated, according to a new report, Driven to Waste, by WWF and UK-based partner Tesco.

Establishing a sustainable food supply in the middle of the desert is extremely challenging. High temperatures throughout the year making it inhospitable for farming and lack of fresh water for irrigation are just two among many other challenges.

How to create a smart and sustainable food supply in the desert, taking the case of Red Sea Project as an example?