Food Systems Overlooked in National Climate Plans, New Scorecard Shows

The Food Systems NDC Scorecard, launched by Mercy For Animals and its partners, evaluates how countries incorporate food systems into their climate action plans. Many countries focus only on agricultural production in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, neglecting other key stages like food consumption and waste. The scorecard highlights the need for comprehensive approaches across the entire food system to effectively mitigate and adapt to climate change.

The assessments of 10 countries show significant variations in how food systems are addressed in their climate plans. Switzerland's NDC scored the highest, while Brazil's NDC scored the lowest due to its limited focus on food production. The tool aims to provide countries with a structured framework to improve food system policies and emphasizes the importance of shifting towards healthy diets and regenerative agriculture for climate action and overall environmental and human health.