State of Food and Agriculture Report (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO))

taken from a vegconomist article because the actual pdf doesn't work with my clipper

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published its annual State of Food and Agriculture report. For the first time ever, this year’s report has a strong focus on the true economic costs of the current food system.

According to the report, agrifood systems have significant hidden costs, adding up to at least $10 trillion per year. This is equivalent to almost 10% of global GDP.

Over 70% of this figure is linked to health costs caused by poor diets, specifically those high in fat, sugar, and processed foods. These diets lead to obesity and chronic diseases, causing productivity losses; this is most prevalent in upper-middle and high-income countries. In lower-income countries, there are significant social costs from poverty and productivity loss caused by undernourishment.

A fifth of the food system’s hidden costs are believed to be environmental, including greenhouse gas/nitrogen emissions, water use, and land use change. All countries are affected, and the true cost is likely to be even higher than estimated due to data limitations.

The FAO is now calling on governments and businesses to use regular and detailed true cost accounting (TCA) to measure hidden costs; they should then work to mitigate the harms caused by the agrifood system. The report underscores the “undeniable urgency” of food system transformation.