Food Systems and Climate Change: A Comparison of Global Emission Estimates, A Systems Framework for Mitigation Efforts, and Intersections of Mitigation Efforts with Sustainable Development Goals
2022-08
Loading...
View/Download File
Persistent link to this item
Statistics
View StatisticsJournal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Title
Food Systems and Climate Change: A Comparison of Global Emission Estimates, A Systems Framework for Mitigation Efforts, and Intersections of Mitigation Efforts with Sustainable Development Goals
Authors
Published Date
2022-08
Publisher
Type
Thesis or Dissertation
Abstract
Global food systems are estimated to contribute approximately one-third of anthropogenicgreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and alone, are large enough to make the goals of the Paris Climate
Agreement unattainable. The need for the rapid reduction of GHG emissions in our food systems is
well established, with calls for food systems transformation focusing on the intersection of
climate, food security, public health, sustainability, and social reform as people do not have
equal access to nutrition, land, or economic benefit. The multifaceted nature of our food systems
crisis requires thoughtful and expansive solutions. This dissertation strives to understand the
contribution of the global food system to GHG emissions today and in the future, explore
recommendations to reduce food system GHG emissions using a systems thinking framework, and how
these interventions may affect broader sustainability goals. In my three chapters, I: (1)
synthesize and explore estimates of global food system GHG emissions in the past and future;
(2) explore interventions and expert recommendations to mitigate food system emissions through a
systems thinking lens, and use systems change frameworks to propose more transformational
recommendations; and (3) explore how interventions to mitigate food system emissions might affect
the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I find that:
(1) existing estimates for global food system GHG emissions are often too aggregated to contribute
to understanding what drives climate damages, while there are no global food system GHG emission
projections for the future that include post-production emissions; (2) there is a mismatch between
expert calls for food systems transformation to mitigate GHG emissions and expert recommendations,
but we can expand our expert recommendations to mitigate food systems utilizing systems change
frameworks to create better, more transformational recommendations; and (3) that there are likely
to be environmental- and economic-benefits of interventions to mitigate food system emissions, but
advancement on justice-centered SDGs is likely only if policies center on reducing inequalities,
and marginalized and vulnerable populations are included and empowered at the forefront of
mitigation policy planning and implementation. Food system mitigation interventions that are
inclusive, holistic, and interdisciplinary that are designed to consider all the SDGs initially are
likely to bring us closer to the transformational food system changes necessary to meet the goals
of the Paris Agreement, achieve sustainable diets, and reduce inequalities in our food systems.
Overall, my work suggests that climate mitigation research would benefit from: current food system
emissions estimates that are sufficiently disaggregated to illuminate what is ultimately driving
climate damages in our global food system; projections of comprehensive GHG emissions that include
the entire life cycle of our global food system; a new focus in our recommendations and efforts on
interventions that have higher potential to achieve desired food system transformations; and
include aspects of sustainability beyond climate change mitigation to ensure our future efforts to
reduce GHG emissions do not exacerbate the existing inequalities in our current food system.
Description
University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. August 2022. Major: Bioproducts/Biosystems Science Engineering and Management. Advisor: Jason Hill. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 135 pages.
Related to
Replaces
License
Collections
Series/Report Number
Funding information
Isbn identifier
Doi identifier
Previously Published Citation
Suggested citation
Colgan, Kimberly. (2022). Food Systems and Climate Change: A Comparison of Global Emission Estimates, A Systems Framework for Mitigation Efforts, and Intersections of Mitigation Efforts with Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/243069.
Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.