A study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published this Friday confirms that the hidden costs in global agri-food systems amount to nearly 12 trillion dollars a year.
About 70% of that amount, 8.1 trillion, stems from unhealthy eating habits and is associated with non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
The report The State of Food and Agriculture 2024 exposes the total set of costs and benefits associated with the production, distribution and consumption of food, including those that are not reflected in market prices, that is, the so-called “hidden costs and benefits”.
The study details how these costs are determined by hidden health costs, and to a lesser extent by hidden environmental costs, in the most industrialized agri-food systems, typical of high- and upper-middle-income countries.
Costs depending on diet
From a historical perspective, agri-food systems have gone from being traditional to industrial, and in each case there have been different results and hidden costs. For this reason, the report explores how hidden costs manifest themselves in the different types of agri-food systems in the world.
To facilitate the analysis, a new typology of agri-food systems is introduced, composed of six categories: in prolonged crisis, traditional, expanding, in the process of diversification, in the process of formalization and industrial.
For example, Diets poor in whole grains are the main dietary risk factor in most agri-food systems; On the other hand, in systems immersed in prolonged crises and in traditional ones (characterized by lower productivity, limited adoption of technologies and shorter value chains), the greatest concern is a low intake of fruits and vegetables. .
Another significant problem is the high sodium intakewhich tends to increase as traditional systems evolve towards formalized systems, reaches a peak in these and decreases again when they become industrial.
On the contrary, the consumption of red and processed meats It increases constantly throughout the transition from traditional agri-food systems to industrial systems, where it constitutes one of the three most important food risks.
Environmental costs
Apart from the risks linked to diet, The environmental repercussions of unsustainable agricultural practices substantially increase hidden costs. The costs associated with greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen runoff, land use changes and water pollution are particularly high in countries whose agri-food systems are diversifying, where it is estimated that such Costs are around $720 billion.
Formalizing systems and industrial systems also face significant environmental costs; However, the countries that face the greatest environmental costs are those affected by prolonged crises, since in them these costs are equivalent to 20% of their gross domestic product (GDP).
Social costs
The social costs, including poverty and undernourishment, are most prevalent in traditional agri-food systems and in those affected by prolonged crises.
In countries with such systems, social costs represent 8% and 18% of GDP, respectively, highlighting the urgent need to improve livelihoods and integrate humanitarian, development and community-building efforts. peace.
A call for collective action
Broadly, the report advocates a value-oriented transformation of agri-food systems to make them more sustainable, resilient, inclusive and efficient.
This transformation requires transcend traditional economic measures such as GDP and use real cost accounting to reveal hidden costs. This approach allows for better informed decisions that reinforce the social value of agri-food systems, recognizing their essential role in food security, nutrition, biodiversity conservation and cultural identity.
To achieve this transformation, it is also necessary to harmonize policies in the health, agricultural and environmental sectors.
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