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Recommendations for action
Restoring agro-ecosystems can help meet the food security needs of as many as 740 million more
people by 2050, a figure that amounts to more than a quarter of the expected growth in the world
population. By recovering depleted fish stock, the increase in available proteins could cover the
daily needs of an additional 90 million people. This report recommends the following options to
protect and restore ecosystems in order to maintain and secure future food production and reduce
food loss and waste:
1. Prioritize ecosystem restoration
by implementing sustainable
ecosystem-basedmanagement practices as ameans to increase
food security and maintain ecosystems.
2. Reduce deforestation and degradation of the world’s forest
ecosystems
by increasing enforcement efforts against illegal
logging through strengthening national enforcement capacity
and international collaboration.
3. Enhance sustainable small-scale farming in developing
countries
, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, by encouraging
agricultural practices that are beneficial to the environment and
food production such as integrated farming, agroforestry and
conservation agriculture.
4. Promote sustainable farming
that limits the use of agro-
chemicals and avoids fragmentation of habitats for important
species such as pollinators. Regulate and prohibit pesticides
that may threaten pollinators, particularly honey bees that
are responsible for the pollination of one-third of food crop
production. Improve food storage and preservation capacity and
farmers’ access to markets, particularly in developing countries.
5. Prevent overfishing and illegal discards of fish
by
strengthening national enforcement of fishing regulations
and increasing international collaboration to curb illegal,
unreported and unregulated fishing practices.
6. Reduce the amount of food that is wasted
at the retail
and consumer levels by at least half of the current level of
40 per cent and explore safe ways to utilize food that is not fit
for human consumption for animal feed or other uses.