A new global scientific report warns that the current food system is a major driver of land degradation, contributing significantly to climate instability, biodiversity loss, and inequality, while still failing to feed the global population effectively. The system, which produces nearly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and consumes vast amounts of land and water, is paradoxically marked by massive waste—over 33% of food never reaches consumers, due to post-harvest losses and retail waste. In Kenya, for instance, up to 40% of harvested maize is lost due to poor storage and pest infestations. The report calls for urgent and radical reforms to cut food waste, change diets, and restore degraded land.
Published in Nature by 21 global scientists, the report outlines a plan to halve degraded land, slash food waste by 75%, and promote sustainable seafood by 2050. These changes could free or restore nearly 44 million square kilometres of land, an area almost the size of Africa. Proposed measures include replacing red meat with responsibly sourced seafood and seaweed, banning cosmetic food standards, mandating surplus food donations, and creating market incentives for food recovery. Spain is highlighted as a pioneer, with new laws requiring supermarkets to donate or sell near-expiry food and restaurants to provide take-away containers.
Beyond environmental benefits, the scientists stress the importance of centering land restoration around smallholder farmers, Indigenous communities, and women, who produce most of the world’s food yet face systemic barriers. They urge governments to redirect subsidies from industrial agriculture to sustainable small-scale farming, provide access to technology, secure land rights, and support inclusive markets. The paper concludes that without urgent action to transform food systems, land degradation will worsen, undermining food security, social stability, and climate goals. Restoring land must be seen not just as environmental work, but as a human and planetary necessity, requiring cooperation across nations, sectors, and global agreements.
Read full article at https://nation.africa/kenya/health/scientists-call-for-global-food-system-overhaul-to-avert-worsening-land-crisis-5172248