Feeding the Climate Crisis: How Agrochemicals Undermine 1.5°C – Center for International Environmental Law | CIEL

Report on the Interlinkages Between Global Food Systems, Fossil Fuels, and Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction

Following the inclusion of fossil fuels in the final agreement at COP28, attention must now turn to the global agri-food system’s profound impact on climate change and its deep-rooted dependency on fossil fuels. This system is responsible for at least one-third of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, posing a significant threat to the achievement of the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target and multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The upcoming COP30 in Brazil provides a critical opportunity to integrate a transition away from high-emitting industrial agriculture into global climate pledges.

2.0 Fossil Fuel Dependency in the Agri-Food System

2.1 System-Wide Integration

The industrial food system and the fossil fuel sector are inextricably linked. This dependency undermines progress on several SDGs, including SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

• Fossil fuels are essential for farm machinery, food processing, refrigeration, and global supply chains.
• Approximately 15% of all fossil fuel energy consumption is directly tied to food systems, a share that is currently growing.

2.2 Agrochemicals as Fossil Fuel Products

Agrochemicals represent a direct and significant consumption of fossil fuels, locking the agricultural sector into a carbon-intensive model.

• The production of nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides requires large inputs of fossil gas, coal, or oil for both feedstock and energy.
• Nitrogen fertilizers alone account for 3-5% of global fossil gas use and are responsible for over 2% of global emissions, rivaling the impact of commercial aviation.
• As other sectors decarbonize, the fossil fuel industry is increasingly targeting petrochemicals, of which agrochemicals comprise roughly one-third, as a primary growth market.

3.0 Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

3.1 Climate, Land, and Water (SDG 13, 14, 15)

The industrial food system, enabled by agrochemicals, is a primary driver of environmental degradation, directly contravening key environmental SDGs.

• SDG 15 (Life on Land): The model of large-scale monocultures and industrial livestock operations drives 70-90% of global deforestation and accelerates soil and biodiversity loss.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): Agriculture is the largest human-made source of methane and nitrous oxide, greenhouse gases with significantly higher warming potential than carbon dioxide. On its current trajectory, the food system alone would make achieving the 1.5°C target impossible.
• SDG 14 (Life Below Water): The overuse of fertilizers leads to the disruption of nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, causing cascading harm to aquatic ecosystems.

3.2 Food Security and Health (SDG 2, SDG 3)

The claim that industrial agriculture is necessary to prevent hunger is challenged by data, and its methods undermine long-term food security and public health.

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Global food production is already 1.5 times more than what is required to feed the population. Hunger is a result of inequality and lack of access, conditions which are exacerbated by the climate impacts of industrial agriculture. Furthermore, the degradation of soil and biodiversity undermines our future ability to grow food.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The industrial food system is identified as the single largest driver of planetary boundary overshoot, with significant negative consequences for human health.

4.0 Proposed Solutions and Recommendations for COP30

4.1 Rejection of False Solutions

Technological fixes promoted by industrial agribusiness, such as blue ammonia, precision farming, and controlled-release plastic coatings, fail to address systemic issues. These proposals often deepen dependence on fossil fuels and chemical inputs, delaying the necessary transition toward achieving SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

4.2 A Framework for Systemic Transformation

To align global food systems with the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, climate negotiators at COP30 must recognize food systems as a central component of the climate agenda. A transition to agroecology is a viable and necessary path forward.

1. Explicitly acknowledge the role of agrochemicals and industrial agriculture in transgressing planetary limits, including the climate.
2. Commit to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that reduce the use of agrochemicals and support a transition towards agroecology, directly addressing SDG 13.
3. Reject false solutions that lock in fossil fuel dependence and delay meaningful change.
4. Support farmers with financial and technical resources to adopt agroecological and low-input practices that are resilient, productive, and climate-aligned, contributing to SDG 2.
5. Introduce policies, especially in high-income countries, that support a dietary shift toward healthy, ecological, plant-based foods and implement binding agricultural emissions reduction targets, advancing SDG 3 and SDG 12.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article is fundamentally about the climate impact of the food system. It opens by stating the need to discuss food “if we are to keep 1.5° within reach” and highlights that “Global agri-food systems are responsible for at least one-third of human-caused global greenhouse emissions.” The entire text revolves around mitigating climate change by reforming agriculture, directly aligning with the goal of taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • The article addresses the argument that industrial agriculture is necessary to prevent hunger. It counters this by stating, “we already produce 1.5 times more food than is needed to feed our global population. Hunger is driven by inequalities and access — not a lack of production.” It also promotes a transition to “agroecology” and supporting “ecologically-minded smallholder farmers,” which relates to achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • This goal is central to the article’s critique of the industrial food system. The text points out the system’s reliance on “monocultures, intensive livestock production, and chemical inputs” and the overuse of resources like fossil fuels and agrochemicals. The call to “reduce the use of agrochemicals” and support a “dietary shift toward healthy, ecological, plant-based foods” directly addresses the need for sustainable consumption and production patterns.
4. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • The article explicitly links industrial agriculture to terrestrial ecosystem degradation. It states that the current model “drives deforestation, accelerates methane and nitrous oxide emissions, and deepens soil and biodiversity loss.” It quantifies this by noting, “The expansion of the agricultural frontier accounts for 70-90% of global deforestation.” This directly connects to the goal of protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
5. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The article establishes a direct link between the food system and energy consumption, noting that “Roughly 15% of all fossil fuel energy use today is tied to food systems.” It details how “Oil, gas, and coal are the lifeblood for farm machinery, fertilizers, food processing, refrigeration, global supply chains.” The critique of this “fossil-fuel lock-in” and the promotion of systems less dependent on these inputs connect to the goal of ensuring access to sustainable energy.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
   • Target 13.2: “Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.” The article directly calls for this by demanding “Nationally Determined Contributions that reduce the use of agrochemicals and move towards agroecology.”
2. Under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger):
   • Target 2.4: “By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change…” The article’s core proposal to transition to “agroecology” and support farmers with resources to adopt “resilient, productive, and climate-aligned” practices aligns perfectly with this target.
3. Under SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production):
   • Target 12.2: “By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.” The article’s criticism of the overuse of synthetic fertilizers and the call to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and chemical inputs directly relate to this target.
   • Target 12.4: “By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle… and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil…” The focus on the negative impacts of “agrochemicals” (fertilizers and pesticides) and the call to reduce their use is a direct reflection of this target’s objective.
4. Under SDG 15 (Life on Land):
   • Target 15.2: “By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.” The article’s finding that agricultural expansion accounts for “70-90% of global deforestation” makes this target highly relevant.
   • Target 15.3: “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil…” The article mentions that “overreliance on agrochemicals degrades soils,” linking the issue directly to this target.
   • Target 15.5: “Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity…” The text explicitly states that the current agricultural model deepens “biodiversity loss.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture:
   • The article states that “Global agri-food systems are responsible for at least one-third of human-caused global greenhouse emissions” and that nitrogen fertilizers account for “more than 2 % of global emissions.” A key indicator would be the reduction of this percentage, which measures progress towards SDG 13.
2. Fossil Fuel Use in the Food System:
   • The article mentions that “Roughly 15% of all fossil fuel energy use today is tied to food systems” and that “Nitrogen fertilizers alone account for 3-5% of global fossil gas use.” Tracking the reduction in the share of fossil fuel energy used by the agri-food sector would be a direct indicator for SDG 7 and SDG 12.
3. Rate of Deforestation due to Agriculture:
   • The statistic that “The expansion of the agricultural frontier accounts for 70-90% of global deforestation” provides a clear indicator. Measuring a decrease in the percentage of deforestation linked to agriculture would show progress towards SDG 15.
4. Use of Agrochemicals:
   • While not giving a total volume, the article’s central theme is the overuse of agrochemicals. An implied indicator is the total volume or intensity of synthetic fertilizer and pesticide use per hectare. A reduction in this metric would indicate progress toward SDG 12 and SDG 2.
5. Levels of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions:
   • The article identifies agriculture as the “largest human-made source of two greenhouse gases that are much more potent than carbon dioxide: methane and nitrous oxide.” Monitoring and reducing the atmospheric concentrations and emissions of these specific gases from agricultural sources is a critical indicator for SDG 13.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ciel.org