PARIS— Farming subsidies
worth around $500 billion doled out by governments every year must be
repurposed, three UN agencies warned on Tuesday, citing the environmental and
health damage they cause.
اضافة اعلان
Released ahead of a UN food systems
summit next week, the agencies' report is a "wake-up" for governments
to rethink their agricultural support schemes, Food and Agriculture
Organization director general Qu Dongyu said in a statement.
Global support to producers totals
$540 billion per year, according to the joint report by the FAO, the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme.
The agencies said 87 percent of that
aid — $470 billion — is "price distorting and environmentally and socially
harmful".
"
Agricultural support is not
providing desirable results for sustainability and human health, but
repurposing it can be a game changer," the report said.
The aid is expected to triple to
nearly $1.8 trillion by 2030.
A hefty portion of the subsidies,
$294 billion per year, comes in the form of price incentives resulting from
import tariffs and export subsidies, the report found.
Farmers also receive $245 billion in
fiscal subsidies, which can lead to "negative environmental outcomes"
when they are linked to the production of a specific commodity, a practice
known as "coupled subsidies".
This aid can encourage the overuse
of agrochemicals and natural resources, and the cultivation of a single crop,
according to the report.
Emissions-heavy products such as
beef, milk and rice receive the most support worldwide despite their
potentially negative impact on climate change, the report said.
The subsidies also disincentivize
farmers from producing healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables.
"Phasing out the most
distorting and environmentally and socially harmful producer support (i.e.
price incentives and fiscal subsidies tied to the production of a specific
commodity) is essential," the agencies said.
"But this will not bear fruit
if resources are not redirected towards investments for the provision of public
goods and services for agriculture (i.e. research and development and
infrastructure) and to decoupled fiscal subsidies."
The agencies suggest governments
take a six-step strategy to reform subsidies, including measuring the support
they provide, understanding their impact and identifying repurposing options.
"Transparency and inclusive
consultations are critical to address institutional bottlenecks and vested interests
that could hinder reform and the effective implementation of the
strategy," they said.
"By shifting to more
nature-positive, equitable and efficient agricultural support, we can improve
livelihoods, and at the same time cut emissions, protect and restore
ecosystems, and reduce the use of agrochemicals," said UNEP executive
director Inger Andersen.
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