November 3, 2021
Food for Thought
Tackling Climate Change Through Food System Innovation
We are in the midst of a transformation in the way we produce and consume food. Pressures from population growth and climate change are already affecting food production and security, and projections state that future impacts will be even greater.
The science is clear. From unprecedented periods of drought and raging wildfires to deadly heat waves and massive hurricanes, scientists are observing climate change in every region around the world. According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, the world is likely to face further climate disruptions for decades, or even centuries, to come – impacting multiple ecosystems in the process.
Climate change undoubtedly impacts food production, but did you know that what you eat also has an effect on climate change? According to an FAO news article based on an study in Nature Food, approximately one-third of all global warming greenhouse gases emitted each year are generated by food systems "from land-use change and agricultural production to packaging and waste management." The time is now to enact mitigation strategies to minimize the impacts of unsustainable agriculture and its potential to aggravate the consequences of climate change. However, we must avoid simplistic ‘stop this’ and ‘start that’ approaches, and develop meaningful system solutions that incorporate the dynamic relationships between the many aspects of the food system - production, harvest, distribution, and consumption.
Challenges on this scale can only be tackled with pioneering mindsets and new ways of working. We’ll need to generate innovative ideas for more efficient production and processing methods, diversification in the food system, adoption of sustainable diets, and reduction in food loss and waste to solve these challenges.
We’ll need our future food system leaders to focus on an integrated approach to navigating the complexity of these issues. We must be willing to break boundaries that currently inhibit us from developing adaptation practices and adopting new technologies. The global food system is interconnected and we need future leaders who understand these connections so they can make bigger, broader changes that work for the whole, rather than just one part.
By intentionally focusing on an integrated food systems approach, the IFSL program helps change the way leaders think about today’s most pressing needs while also working towards a more sustainable future. It’s our goal to equip the next generation of leaders with the knowledge, tools and mindset they need to work more effectively together. When we collaborate in this way, I know we will be able to drive impactful change and alter our current trajectory.
The University of Minnesota Integrated Food Systems Leadership (IFSL) Program is designed for professionals interested in accelerating their careers. The IFSL program is a unique, online, graduate certificate program that fosters leadership, collaboration, and innovation across the food system. IFSL is a Post-Baccalaureate Regents Certificate program aimed at bridging the gap between traditional food system education and a professional leadership program.