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Food & Water Stories

Menu of Change

Meeting global climate and biodiversity goals will require a swift shift in the way we produce and consume food.

December 14, 2022

Food is the ultimate convener. It transcends language barriers, defines cultures and unites us. It’s no wonder food production offers critical solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises. Here’s a look at some of those solutions.

A man drives his boat on the river surrounded by trees
©

Traditional Foods and Knowledge

Indigenous Peoples and local communities are vital leaders in solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental and human well-being challenges. They are critical partners, and we have much to learn from their management of nature and its food sources.

  • 24%

    of tropical forest carbon is stored within Indigenous lands

  • 80%

    of Earth's remaining biodiversity is within Indigenous lands

  • 90%

    of the world's 32 million fishers are small-scale, artisan

A view from underwater of eulachon swimming.
An Indigenous woman hangs eulachon fish to dry.
A historic photo of an eulachon stink box.
Fishermen in Chile stack nets of shellfish.
A view from underwater of eulachon swimming.

Fisheries Management

The Story of Eulachon

Eulachon is found only along the North American Pacific Coast from northern California to the southern Bering Sea. Some refer to eulachon as “candlefish,” as its high oil content allows it to burn like a candle when dried, and “the salvation fish,” as it historically arrived when First Nations people were starving or low on winter food supplies.

An Indigenous woman hangs eulachon fish to dry.

Fisheries Management

Preparing Eulachon

Eulachon are eaten fresh, dried, smoked, salted and frozen. However, the product of greatest cultural, nutritional, social and economic value is the grease rendered from the fish. Eulachon grease is a very nutritious food that is high in unsaturated fats and is superior at providing vitamin A, E and K.

A historic photo of an eulachon stink box.

Fisheries Management

History of Eulachon

Historically, eulachon returned from the sea in masses to approximately 95 rivers along the Northwest Pacific Coast to spawn. Today, their numbers are few, with some rivers completely empty of the fish. Though there isn’t enough data to definitively state the reasons why, eulachon decline has been attributed to deforestation, river dredging, industrial pollution, shoreline development and river flow alteration from the construction of dams and roads.

Fishermen in Chile stack nets of shellfish.

Fisheries Management

Learning from Eulachon

The story of the eulachon is akin to many fisheries around the globe: they need resources for better monitoring and they’re threatened by unsustainable management and climate change. Whether eulachon, salmon of Bristol Bay, tuna of the Pacific or crab from Peru, our global fisheries need support. The good news is there’s still time to learn from our past and restore the health of our ocean and inland waters. Reforming fisheries management is perhaps the most impactful approach to do this.

Sputc (eulachon) are very important to Nuxalk culture and food lifestyle. They were used in ceremonies. Sputc Slaq' (grease) was highly prized, historically used in almost every dish, and is also used as a medicine.

Wapat (Alec Willie)

Nuxalk Nation Food Sovereignty Coordinator
Two farmers kneel down in a green field at sunrise.
©

Regenerative Food Systems

A regenerative food system is designed to nourish both people and planet. Regenerative production practices like those featured below work to actively restore nature while also maintaining or increasing food production.

A Regenerative Food System Can:

  • 15%

    Reduce water removals for global agriculture by 15%

  • 36–74%

    Increase edible food from sea between 36-74% by 2050

  • 428 M

    Restore up to 428 million hectares of crop and grazing lands

Several fishing boats gather in the harbor
A woman holds a handful of healthy soil
A diver works on seaweed aquaculture
Female rancher in red shirt smiles against a fence post
An aerial view of a river with surrounding green forest
Protecting Water Forested river corridors help protect watersheds.
Several fishing boats gather in the harbor

Regenerative Food

Healthy Fisheries

Sustainable fisheries result in stable seafood supplies, thriving coastal communities and biodiversity conservation that creates healthy oceans, rivers and lakes. But there are barriers to achieving this vision—including lack of information about the health of fisheries and ecosystems, and limitations in capacity for implementing solutions. To overcome these barriers, TNC combines innovative technology and collaboration, helping fill information gaps and design science, policy and technology that balance the needs of people and nature.

A woman holds a handful of healthy soil

Regenerative Food

Soil Health

To meet the nutrition needs of 9.8 billion people by 2050, we must improve food production on existing land, and that means improving soil health. Soil health practices such as efficient fertilizer use, nutrient management, cover cropping, crop diversification and rotational grazing can boost productivity while mitigating interrelated challenges related to climate change, biodiversity loss and rural livelihoods.

A diver works on seaweed aquaculture

Regenerative Food

Restorative Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing form of food production, and it can also be one of the most environmentally efficient. Bivalves and seaweed are near-zero input forms of farming—they require almost no feed, freshwater or land. As noted in our report, Foodscapes: Toward Food System Transition, expanding restorative aquaculture and improving management of wild fisheries could sustainably increase how much food we get from the ocean by 36-74% by 2050, making aquaculture a key part of transitioning toward a food system that works with nature.

Female rancher in red shirt smiles against a fence post

Regenerative Food

Regenerative Ranching

Globally, beef production is the top driver of deforestation and accounts for 78% of total livestock greenhouse (GHG) emissions. Yet, there are many known management solutions that, if adopted broadly, can significantly reduce the beef industry’s footprint. In Brazil, management strategies such as improved feed quality, breed selections and fertilizer management reduced GHG emissions by 57%. Other strategies include: intensive rotational grazing, adding soil compost, reforesting degraded areas and planting forage plants to sequester carbon.

An aerial view of a river with surrounding green forest
Protecting Water Forested river corridors help protect watersheds.

Regenerative Food

Managing for Water

Water is critical to all life and is one of the foundational elements to agriculture, which accounts for 70% of total global fresh water consumption. Whether through drought or flooding, biodiversity loss and climate change are being written in water, with significant impacts on agriculture. Nature-based solutions—like forest protection, regenerative agricultural practices, wetland restoration and natural vegetation corridors along waterways—can both improve the productivity of food systems and help protect our watersheds.

Food production is not only the biggest force affecting nature—it also accounts for nearly 10% of the global economy. So if we want greener, fairer economies, a primary target should be to transform our food economy.

Jennifer Morris Chief Executive Officer, The Nature Conservancy
a wheat field at sunset
©

Diet Diversification

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 75% of the world’s food is generated from only 12 plants and 5 animal species. This increasingly homogenous food system has come at a cost.

The Food System Causes:

  • 1/3

    of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)

  • 90%

    of land-use change/conversion

  • 70%

    of global water usage

A woman smiles as she lays sardines on drying racks
a hand holds grains
a small patch of wild oyster mushrooms grow on a tree
A woman smiles as she lays sardines on drying racks

Flexible

Diet Choice

Diets are shaped by cultures, traditions and access, and we must be supportive of flexible food choices. Diet choices are context specific and balance a number of trade-offs, including greenhouse gas emissions, ecosystem benefits, livelihoods for producers and nutritional density, among others. Overall, moving to a regenerative food system results in diversified production practices and more diverse diet choices, a win-win cycle for the inextricably linked human and planetary health.

a hand holds grains

Diversifying with

Grains, Seeds and Pulses

Rice, corn (maize), and wheat make up 2/3 of global caloric intake. While these staples are critical, by diversifying our meals, we can support crop rotations for farmers and effectively increase biodiversity in our agricultural ecosystems. Choosing diverse grains like buckwheat, millet and sorghum; diverse seeds like quinoa, hemp and chia; and diverse pulses like beans, chickpeas and lentils not only provides nutritional variety, but also creates market demand for farmers and encourages diverse crop rotations that can improve soil health.

a small patch of wild oyster mushrooms grow on a tree

Diversifying with

Vegetables and Legumes

Globally, hundreds of millions of people suffer from malnutrition (undernutrition and obesity), which leads to non-communicable diseases and increasing health costs. While wealthier parts of the world need to reduce overall consumption, more than 1/3 of the global population (~3.1 billion people) is unable to afford nutritious and sufficient food. One way to address this is through consuming more nutrient-dense food, grown sustainably. This includes traditional foods that often lead to more agrobiodiversity.

For 10,000 years farmers were asked to do one thing: produce more food. Now, we are at a unique moment in human history when farmers are being asked not only to produce more food, but food that is better for people and the planet.

Jack Bobo

Director of Global Food and Water Policy, The Nature Conservancy
an aerial view of a colorful, diverse mix of crops
©

Grow Positive

By adopting regenerative practices, the world’s farmers, fishers, ranchers and pastoralists can help restore nature while meeting the nutrition needs of 9.8 billion people by 2050.

A woman stands on her seeding machine in her field.
Two hands shake in front of a green corn field
A man sits in his tractor using new technology
A hand holds an ear of corn
Aerial view of the Earth showing diverse landscapes
A woman stands on her seeding machine in her field.

Grow Positive

Our Path Forward

Creating a regenerative food system at the scale and pace needed will require significant changes in the way natural resources and food production are managed. New incentive structures, supply chain reform and market interventions will all be needed. Taken together, they represent a significant and urgently needed shift from business as usual. Together, they help us #GrowPositive.

Two hands shake in front of a green corn field

Grow Positive

Unlocking Finance

Regenerative transitions often take multiple years before benefits accrue to producers, who already need new strategies to adapt to a changing climate. Thus, there is a need to unlock catalytic financing through debt, equity and risk-sharing instruments such as insurance or payment for ecosystem services. There is also a growing need to increase private finance in climate adaptation–only about $500 million (1.6%) of adaptation finance came from private sources–especially as government finances worldwide are increasingly stressed.

A man sits in his tractor using new technology

Grow Positive

Investing in Innovation

We need increased investments in new technologies from both public and private actors to now meet the 21st century challenges. These technologies include production-centric tools, such as precision agriculture and biological-based soil management; tools that improve value chain linkages and supply chain traceability/transparency, such as big data, IOT and blockchain; and innovations that shape demand, such as alternative proteins, genetics and food-sensing technologies.

A hand holds an ear of corn

Grow Positive

Repurposing Subsidies

Government action is the most powerful driver of food systems, and by realigning incentives, the public sector can change the economics that drive change. Governments can focus on repurposing subsidies in their NDCs to promote more regenerative outcomes. Increasing government spending on agriculture research to develop and disseminate emissions-efficient technologies for crops and livestock could not only improve productivity, but also lower overall emissions from agriculture by 40%.

Aerial view of the Earth showing diverse landscapes

Grow Positive

It’s All Connected

By taking a foodscape-scale approach to planning, we can drive swift progress in transitioning the global food system to work in partnership with nature, not against it. We define a foodscape as a distinct food production geography with specific combinations of biophysical characteristics and management attributes, including the political, cultural and economic influences of food production. Mapping these foodscapes makes it possible to go from analysis to a realistic vision of the changes that need to happen at local and subnational levels.

Any collective action taken to meet the twin climate and biodiversity crises must also address our stressed and fragile food system.

Saswati Bora Global Director of Regenerative Food Systems, The Nature Conservancy
the cover of the Foodscapes Acceleration Guide
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Learn how our global food system can offer cross-cutting solutions that address the humanitarian, climate and biodiversity crises.

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