Devex: Opinion: Food, fuel, and the future of human development
Craig Hanson, vice president for Food, Forest, Water & The Ocean at the World Resources Institute

“…The food system has significant — but often underappreciated — impacts on the environment … Nearly a quarter of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions are linked to agriculture. … Food and fuel are critical not only for the global environment but also for the global economy. … If the aspirations of Earth Day are ever to be realized, then figuring out how to achieve sustainable food and energy systems — addressing both the production and consumption sides of the equation — will need to be a strong focus of the environmental movement. Such a focus would directly tackle the underlying causes of most of the world’s environmental challenges, getting beyond putting just a Band-Aid on symptoms. It would ensure environmentalism aligns with human development since little is more basic to human well-being than food and energy. And such a focus would be relevant for all nations since food shortages and fuel shortages can topple governments. In short, this and future Earth Days should boil down to food and fuel…” (4/22).