By Sean Adl-Tabatabai – The People’s Voice
The United Nations has ordered world governments to begin severely rationing the food supply to combat climate change.
This demand comes from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The head of the FAO, Qu Dongyu, is a former Chinese Communist Party official who previously served as China’s vice minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The UN, an unelected body, is calling on sovereign nations to impose strict restrictions on their agricultural industries, particularly in meat and dairy production, to adhere to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Net Zero” targets for “Agenda 2030.” On Sunday, the FAO released a report demanding policymakers significantly change agricultural markets to align the global agricultural system with the WEF’s green agenda.
While the FAO claims that the move is aimed at “saving the planet” for “the greater good,” there are doubts about the organization’s motives. According to Politico, FAO chief Qu Dongyu has been repeatedly accused of using his position at the global institution to advance Beijing’s specific interests.
The outlet points out that Dongyu has disregarded issues such as food shortages and global hunger crises, instead focusing on cracking down on Western nations’ agricultural industries. The FAO report emphasizes that “Providing healthy food for all, today and tomorrow, is crucial; as is aligning agrifood systems transformation with climate actions.”
The report further states that agrifood systems should address food security and nutrition needs, but they also contain numerous actions aligned with mitigation, adaptation, and resilience objectives. It suggests that the climate agenda could mobilize climate finance to unlock the potential of these systems and drive their transformation.
The report claims that individuals in wealthier nations can “gain” from reduced meat consumption, as the FAO believes it will improve citizens’ health and help in the fight against climate change. On the other hand, poorer countries would supposedly benefit from increased protein consumption.
To better align agriculture with climate goals, the report suggests “increasing productivity and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions per unit of product through better livestock genetics well adapted to existing and future climate conditions.”
However, a UN insider has stated that the organization’s officials are aware that Dongyu is pursuing China’s agenda while publicly claiming to fight climate change. “Nobody actually takes him seriously: It’s not him; it’s China,” a former UN official reportedly told Politico, adding that they believe Dongyu wouldn’t make a single decision without consulting Beijing first.
The report urges policymakers to “change the livestock population to match not only nutritional needs but also environmental opportunities and constraints.” The FAO insists that nations should implement policies to shift away from large livestock animals, such as cows, for meat production.
The report also calls for policy to “change consumer behavior regarding portion size and nudge towards responsible decisions by food sellers and consumers.” Additionally, it suggests that countries should “change food and beverages taxes and subsidies to provide consumers with an economic and rational decision-making justification for change.”
The FAO concludes by alleging that livestock production accounts directly for 26% of all “emissions” caused by agricultural activity, which could increase by 40% by 2050 without sweeping government action.
The new FAO report is the first of three papers to be released by the organization. The next two reports will be released at the upcoming UN climate summits, known as COP29 and COP30, as outlined in the text.
The COP29 report will focus on creating regional roadmaps to transform the global agricultural system.
The COP30 report will detail plans for specific countries, as well as systems for emissions monitoring and accountability.