The United Nations has 17 objectives that paint a more resource-conscious and fair world called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The sixth mission is to “ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all” by 2030. The turn of the decade will happen before too long, so assessing progress and moments for improvement at this stage is critical. How is SDG 6 going, and what can humanity do to achieve it?

The Wins and Conditions

Years of governmental and humanitarian work have achieved massive wins for the planet since the goal’s inception. Here is how each pillar of this goal has changed between 2015 and 2022.

More Widespread Sanitation and Hygiene Services

Many nations have water availability, but no way to clean it for drinking and basic hygiene needs. It is why enhancing access to already clean water and sanitation technologies must occur simultaneously. Sanitation services rose from 49% to 57%, and hygiene services rose from 67% to 75%.

The positive movement is necessary, but it also needs to happen faster. Current accomplishments have given millions of people better sanitation while informing them of the best steps forward. For example, rural areas saw enhancements while urban regions are unaltered or have reduced water quality.

Increased Access to Drinking Water

Water scarcity plagues the planet, as the climate crisis causes reserves to run dry and rains to be infrequent. It impacts 785 million people globally but is becoming less common every year.

Dependability is uncertain, so restoring access is essential for an equitable world. In these years, access to safe drinking water rose from 69% to 73%. The positive trend influences the goal because it shows the power of collaboration, but the future needs work to occur six times faster than this rate to meet the target. 

Better Water Efficiency

Resource use efficiency is an aspect of this goal because it lowers global water stress levels. It dictates how much freshwater is available versus how many renewable resources can compensate for demand. The worldwide average was at a safe range in 2020 because of optimizations in agriculture and industry. Small adjustments like investing in low-flow fixtures and water recycling technologies make a monumental difference.

However, the progress also shows that the average hides regional differences, as countries in southern Asia and northern Africa see unprecedented levels of water stress.

The Setbacks and Improvement Areas

As valuable as the wins are for giving clean and plentiful water to nations, many are not on track to meet 2030 expectations. Several obstacles hinder progress, and knowing what they are and how they influence SDG 6’s trajectory is crucial for discovering solutions. 

Robust advocacy networks to increase urgency for these issues are vital for getting as close as possible. These are the setbacks activists, governments and citizens can work on together.

Decline in Official Development Assistance

Investments are the lifeblood of most infrastructure development and water access expansion. Funding for these projects has slowed between 2015 and 2021, declining from $9.6 to $8.1 billion. 

Private and public stakeholder interests have changed everywhere for many reasons, whether geopolitically or socioculturally influenced. Regardless, advocates and legislators must establish programs and convince investors to reach peak commitment.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Is Rare

IWRM is a methodology that balances commercial and industrial water use with the needs of the citizens. It ensures there are enough resources to go around while paying attention to the impacts usage has on ecosystems and the future of sustainable development. Implementation rose to 57% in 2023, but the goal is 91% by 2030.

Companies using the most resources can catalyze change by budgeting for more holistic water management systems. Many could wait until it is mandatory through regulatory power, but organizations must act while they wait for more standardization. 

Water Quality Is Declining

In the U.S., around 40% of its water does not meet the standards of the Clean Water Act, which is the primary framework for regulatory influence. Many of the world’s low-quality reserves demonstrate a greater need for monitoring technologies and even better sanitation density. 

The reality should inspire collaborative efforts to share advanced technologies, like the Internet of Things, to let nations collect more data about what impacts their water. Increasing awareness of specific pollutants informs targeted treatment needs.

Adverse Actions Against Water Protections

Many private, public and governmental choices are hurting essential natural water features and resources. They need elevated protections to achieve SDG 6. For example, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, which influences accessibility to people in Pakistan.

Global wetlands are also under threat in many nations, with many in desperate need of restoration and care. Mangroves, marshes and other ecosystems are critical for filtering water while serving as essential carbon sinks. These processes have a lasting impact on neighboring communities and habitats by boosting soil quality. This helps industries like agriculture conserve water, as the soil is better at absorbing it to achieve better growth cycles.

Activities like this must receive opposition from legislators and citizens alike. Otherwise, they will continue to happen. Neglecting water protection is one of the most widespread negative influences on SDG 6, as it culminates in many actions.

Ensuring Water and Sanitation for All

The progress and setbacks bring equal hope to this objective. Every win is a celebration, which sustains momentum until humanity hits its 2030 goal. Simultaneously, each shortcoming will inspire greater action and innovation. Current projections prove progress is slow in 2025, but accelerating efforts and boosting funding for related projects could get it there despite potential barriers.

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Can AI be sustainable?

Over 100 partners, including 37 tech companies, 11 countries and 5 international organizations, have joined forces with the UN under the Coalition for Environmentally Sustainable Artificial Intelligence, aiming to ramp up global momentum to place AI on a more environmentally sustainable path.

Spearheaded by France, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the new AI Coalition brings together “stakeholders across the AI value chain for dialogue and ambitious collaborative initiatives,” according their press material.

193 countries have adopted a series of non-binding recommendations on the ethical use of AI, but a few of these are troubling because among the 193, some of them are considered the “most dangerous countries in the world” by the International Security Journal; they include countries that face severe human rights violations including Afghanistan (run by the Taliban), Syria (run by an ex-Al Qaeda leader), Yemen (controlled by the Houthis). Will they have an equal say in how AI is built or unbuilt with human biases and ambitions that may not be shared as a value across the board?

“We know that AI can be a force for climate action and energy efficiency,” says the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “But we also know AI power-intensive systems are already placing an unsustainable strain on our planet,” “So it is crucial to design AI algorithms and infrastructures that consume less energy and integrate AI into smart grids to optimize power use.”

The Coalition was announced at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris, where Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, CEOs, academics, artists, and members of civil society gathered to discuss support for AI innovation, adequate regulation, and respect for rights to ensure development of these technologies in the interests of all, including developing countries.

According to their marketing material, the Coalition will encourage AI initiatives for the planet, including its role in decarbonizing economies, reducing pollution, preserving biodiversity, protecting the oceans, and ensuring humanity operates within planetary boundaries.

“It will use a collaborative approach – bringing together governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector – to focus on standardized methods and metrics for measuring AI’s environmental impacts, comprehensive life cycle analysis frameworks for reporting and disclosure, and prioritization of research on sustainable AI.”

What is sustainable AI? What is an environmental impact? Who chooses who enters the pact?

The new EU coalition argues that the the EU itself has tried and the United States of America have introduced legislation to temper the environmental impact of AI. “However, the policy landscape remains sparse.” The EU group believes that they can “inform investors, development banks and local authorities on the objective elements defining an energy-efficient data centre.”

“The power of AI to solve complex global challenges is becoming ever clearer, but so too are its environmental impacts and the need for environmental guardrails to ensure the field grows sustainably,” said Golestan (Sally) Radwan, Chief Digital Officer for UNEP, from Egypt. “The new Coalition brings together critical stakeholders who have the power to work together and build systems that ensure the net effect of AI on the planet is positive as the technology continues to deploy rapidly.”

Updated, February 20, 2025

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The global import food import bill is expected to increase by 2.2 percent from the previous year to more than $2 trillion in 2024, pushed up by higher prices for cocoa, coffee and tea and also buoyed by higher import costs for fruits and vegetables, according to Food Outlook, a report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

Import expenditures on cocoa, coffee and tea are anticipated to increase by 22.9 percent, accounting for more than half of the overall increase in value terms. That reflects soaring international prices for these commodities due mostly to weather conditions and logistics issues. Cocoa prices reached almost four times their ten-year average earlier this year, those for coffee nearly doubled, and those for tea rose 15 percent above their usual long-term levels.

Exports of these commodities play an important role in the economy of numerous countries, FAO economists noted. Coffee export earnings in Burundi and Ethiopia typically cover nearly 40 percent of their respective food import bills, tea does the same for more than half of Sri Lanka’s bill, and Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa exports more than offset all of the country’s food import costs.

Meanwhile, declining import bills for cereals and oilseeds offer relief to lower-income countries. High-income countries account for two-thirds of the global food import bill and will face a 4.4 percent increase in 2024, while the bills for upper-middle-income, lower-middle-income and low-income countries are likely to contract.

The FAO Food Outlook, a biannual publication, offers updated forecasts for the production, trade, utilization and stocks of major food staples as well as explores a series of topical themes. In particular, olive oil and fertilizers are featured in the latest issue.

FAO’s latest forecasts point to favourable output outlooks across most basic foodstuffs, although global production systems remain vulnerable to risks from extreme weather events and rising geopolitical tensions and policy changes which could tip delicate demand-supply balances and dampen prospects for international trade in food commodities and global food security.

Wheat and coarse grains output is expected to decline in 2024 from high levels but remain above utilization rates. Rice, meanwhile, is a bright spot, with the 2024/25 season poised to mark a record-breaking harvest, which could enable global rice utilization, reserves and international trade to increase. Per capita food intake of wheat and coarse grains is expected to decline somewhat in Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries while that for rice is expected to increase by 1.5%.

Global meat and dairy production is forecast to increase moderately while that for sugar declines. Worldwide fisheries output is set to expand by 2.2 percent driven by aquaculture. Soybean and palm oil outputs are on course to expand while those for rapeseed and sunflower seeds contract. Global vegetable oil consumption could exceed production and lead to stock drawdowns for the second consecutive season, while robust crushings are expected to result in expanding global inventories for oilmeals.

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As Europe faces mounting environmental challenges, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s decision to skip the COP29 climate summit in Baku signals a troubling lack of urgency. While the Commission cites its “transitional phase” as the reason for her absence, this explanation feels hollow against the backdrop of an escalating climate crisis that demands the EU’s full attention and leadership. COP29, held in a country economically tethered to fossil fuels, is already mired in controversy. Von der Leyen’s absence only adds to concerns that the summit will lack the commitment needed for substantive progress.

The climate summit’s agenda this year is as pressing as ever, focusing on critical topics such as funding climate action in developing countries and establishing frameworks for carbon trading. With the frequency of climate-driven natural disasters increasing worldwide, immediate action is essential. In Spain’s Valencia region, for instance, deadly floods have recently destroyed homes and taken lives, serving as a sobering reminder that climate change is not a future threat—it is already here. Against this urgent backdrop, von der Leyen’s absence could be interpreted as a troubling signal that the EU has other, more pressing concerns than addressing the climate crisis.

An Inconvenient Absence Amid Global Turmoil

Von der Leyen is not alone in her decision to miss COP29; other prominent leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and the outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden, are also skipping the summit. However, the EU’s role as a climate leader sets it apart, particularly as it faces the likelihood of a less climate-conscious U.S. administration. Without strong EU representation, there is a risk that COP29 will be dominated by fossil fuel-producing countries like Azerbaijan, which holds a vested interest in slowing the transition away from oil and gas. This situation threatens to turn the summit into more of a greenwashing spectacle than a forum for meaningful action.

European lawmakers and environmental advocates have voiced their disappointment. Michael Bloss, a German Green MEP, called von der Leyen’s decision “a fatal signal,” while WWF’s climate specialists warned that the absence of key leaders could undermine confidence in global climate commitments. The climate crisis will not pause for political convenience, nor will it wait for ideal conditions to act. Europe’s climate leadership is critical, particularly as other global powers waver on their commitments.

The EU’s Complicated Climate Commitments

In recent years, the European Union has prided itself on its ambitious climate policies, from the European Green Deal to its commitment to cut emissions by 55% by 2030. Yet, von der Leyen’s absence from COP29 raises questions about the EU’s true priorities. As discussions around implementing the European Green Deal remain contentious, the debate on front of pack labeling systems such as Nutri-Score somehow continues to attract attention. This controversial system, which rates foods based on a simplified color code, has sparked endless debate and backlash. This focus reflects misplaced priorities, as time is diverted from more significant issues like climate action.

Initially implemented in France in 2017, Nutri-Score aims to help consumers make healthier food choices by ranking products from green “A” to red “E.” However, this attempt at nutritional clarity has been met with widespread backlash for oversimplifying complex dietary information, confusing consumers, and undermining cultural food traditions that define the European diet. It has also been criticised for encouraging the consumption of proteins, which often translates into eating meat – hardly an environmentally friendly consumer choice. 

The EU’s emphasis on initiatives like the harmonization of labeling over pressing climate issues can appear tone-deaf in the current context. Prioritizing these debates while Europe endures deadly climate-induced events sends a confused message to the world.

Financing and Transparency: The Stakes of COP29

COP29 is a critical moment for securing climate finance for developing nations—a key factor in enabling them to implement their climate action plans. Developing countries have long called for clear commitments from wealthier nations, not just promises. Yet, the financing debate has stalled, with disagreements over the amounts, sources, and mechanisms of support. With the EU’s leadership role diminished by von der Leyen’s absence, there is a real risk that the conference will yield only superficial outcomes.

Azerbaijan, as COP29’s host, has established the Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform, intended to enhance transparency in climate commitments. But Azerbaijan’s poor track record on transparency, coupled with its dependence on fossil fuels, calls into question its commitment to meaningful climate action. The country ranks high in corruption indices, and restrictions on civil society have intensified ahead of the summit. The irony of a petro-state presiding over a climate summit is not lost on observers, and von der Leyen’s absence only adds to the perception that the EU is failing to lead.

The Path Forward: A Call for Focused Climate Leadership

The stakes at COP29 could not be higher. From the latest global temperature records to the devastating floods in Valencia, the evidence of climate change’s impact is undeniable. Europe, with its legacy of environmental leadership, has a unique responsibility to push for substantial progress, particularly as other global leaders falter in their commitments. The EU’s leaders must urgently re-evaluate their priorities to reflect the gravity of the climate crisis. Instead of being sidetracked by secondary issues or internal political considerations, Europe needs to focus on the larger picture, pressing for robust international commitments and ensuring that financing mechanisms meet the scale of the challenge.

In von der Leyen’s absence, the EU delegation will be led by climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, but the symbolic weight of Europe’s top official missing the summit will linger. As world leaders convene in Baku, the hope is that they can overcome the limitations imposed by the summit’s context and make real progress on climate action.The world needs a climate commitment it can count on, not only when it is politically convenient but when it matters most.

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Want to be sustainably balanced in the eye of shareholders and your clients, whether they are B2B or B2C? Do you want to go carbon zero in the path of Estee Lauder and Colorado College and maybe avoid the negative press and greenwashing by Nespresso’s B Corp status? 

You know you want your company’s business to be better informed about climate change and you want to be future-proofed. You also know sustainably-minded companies do better in the long run. So how do you start? The United Nations and its member countries have developed a Net Zero guide.

The Gold Standard is a voluntary carbon offset program focused on progressing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Green Prophet is part of the UNEP’s Switcher’s program for instance – to share sustainability with the Middle East. What is your business doing?

The UN’s guidance supports sustainability systems to establish Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Systems that embed credible emissions accounting into the production processes of their certified commodities. This gives companies buying those commodities the data they need to accurately report on their value chain or “Scope 3” carbon footprint and credibly claim progress toward their climate targets. 

“Properly measuring and valuing positive impact is a key opportunity of our time,” says Margaret Kim, CEO of Gold Standard. “Capturing climate impact data of the goods companies buy provides an incentive to purchase low-carbon commodities when they can report lower emissions in their GHG inventories.

“At the same time, producers can seek potential premiums and preferential procurement and mitigate the risk of losing demand due to pressure for climate data.”

This guidance was developed in collaboration with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Better Cotton, Textile Exchange, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), and Fairtrade International.

Facilitated through the Value Change Initiative, companies including H&M Group, Kingfisher, and VF Corporation (VF), have provided feedback to this guidance and/or participated in pilot activities to inform ongoing implementation. 

“Our 2030 strategy sets a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per ton of cotton produced. This much change cannot be asked of farmers alone – it will take concerted engagement across the value chain,” says Kendra Pasztor, Senior Manager – Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning at Better Cotton.

“Our participation in this initiative is an important step in ensuring Better Cotton’s GHG accounting system will be credible and meets the needs of our stakeholders to positively contribute to climate change mitigation.

Get the net zero guide here (links to PDF)

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New guidance published by the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) provides a market-first, practical toolkit for financial institutions to take immediate action on their lending, investment and underwriting activities which negatively impact ocean health. In short, if you want to make sound investment decisions for your clients, consider the sea. You can get the toolkit here (links to PDF).

The ocean covers 70% of the earth’s surface, holding 97% of all water and 80% of all life forms. Major ocean sectors such as tourism, shipping, fishing, aquaculture and marine renewable energy collectively contribute to a ‘blue’ economy, estimated at a global gross value added of USD 1.5 trillion in 2010. This is projected to double in size to USD 3 trillion by 2030, with some ocean industries set to grow faster than the global economy (OECD, 2016).

We see how an oil spill in Israel can threaten the seafood industry and tourism but it’s a bigger problem than one country, one sea. 

However, ocean health is under existential threat. Faced with the triple crises of pollution, nature loss and climate change, two-thirds of our oceans have been negatively altered by human activity; leaving industries, businesses and livelihoods exposed. With existing financing still largely directed towards unsustainable sectors and activities, it is critical that all sectors of the blue economy are rapidly transitioned towards sustainable pathways.

Invest in the sea

Banks, insurers and investors have a major role to play in financing this transition to a sustainable blue economy, helping to rebuild ocean prosperity and restore biodiversity to the ocean. Through their activities, and client relationships, financial institutions have a major impact on ocean health and hold the power to accelerate and mainstream the sustainable transformation of ocean-linked industries.

They thereby play essential roles in wider ocean governance, engaging in public-private partnerships, and propelling local-to-global actions for sustainability.  

“Momentum is building as more banks, insurers and investors wake up to the realisation that their financial activities can have a sizeable impact on ocean health, creating a negative feedback loop for key ocean industries such as shipping, fishing, tourism and marine renewables” said Eric Usher, Head of UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI).

“A new sustainable pathway for the blue economy is thus both an environmental and economic necessity. This critical new guidance provides a practical toolkit for financial institutions to understand their impact and discover how a new sustainable finance approach can help them identify key risks and opportunities in ocean-linked sectors” he added.

Leveraging best practice based on input from more than 50 pioneering institutions and experts, this guidance sets out pathways to sustainable growth across five key ocean sectors, chosen for their established connection to private finance. It presents a detailed breakdown of which activities to seek out as best practice, which activities to challenge, and which activities to avoid financing completely due to their damaging nature.

Banks burning the Amazon?

See this story on bankers exposed in Brazil burning the Amazon implicating the agtech investor bank Robobank, which declined to comment. It goes to show that at any point in the near future banks will be exposed. Investing in the planet mitigates risk. 

“Decades of unsustainable consumption and production is leading to environmental risks and losses in natural capital, eroding the ocean’s resource base. Without engagement by financial institutions, we will not be able to change the course to sustain a healthy ocean and unlock its enormous potential. 1$ of sustainable ocean investments can yield 5x higher global benefits” said Leticia Carvalho, Head of the Marine and Freshwater Branch, UN Environment Programme.

“This new guidance can help financial institutions invest in good ocean governance at local, regional and global levels. In a nutshell, making sustainable blue economy opportunities too hard to resist” she added.

Consider new initiatives like the Ocean Cleanup. Young people are looking for real world solutions that invest in cleaning the seas. 

This guidance provides decision-makers across banking, insurance and investment with a science-based and actionable toolkit, giving easy-to-follow recommendations on how to approach financial activity related to:

• Seafood, including both fisheries and aquaculture as well as their supply chains;
• Ports;
• Maritime transportation;
• Marine renewable energy, notably offshore wind; and
• Coastal and marine tourism, including cruising.

It builds on the foundation of the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles – a keystone for financing activities in the blue economy, supported by a community of over 50 institutions worldwide with a collective total asset size of over USD 6trn.

We think the United Nations has a lot of potential to transform the world for good and we support more initiatives like this, less on costly meetings and conferences which have more or less been eradicated since Covid times. 

 You can download the guide here or click the image below. Links to PDF.

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Most of us, even in suburbs, actually live in a type of city, a new UN study has found. Some 99% of the world is now connected to an urban way of life. Fewer than one percent of the global population live in truly remote hinterlands, sharpening the need for better understanding of how urban forms impact food systems as well as social and economic development, according to new research by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the University of Twente.

Knowing more about how people organize themselves, can make an easier job for international planners and investors develop strategies for water management, solar energy, and even Covid vaccine rollout, for instance. 

Small cities and towns and the rural areas they influence – defined as their catchment areas – play an outsized role in the way people pursue their livelihoods, says the paper, “Global mapping of urban-rural catchment areas reveals unequal access to services”, just published by the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

This is particularly the case in low-income countries where small cities and their catchment areas are home to almost two thirds of their overall population.

Insights derived from the research “have strong policy implications, ranging from access to health services to the organization of city-region food systems and facilitating a mobility transition toward more commuting and less migration,” say the authors.

By using multiple spatial datasets and calculating the time needed for rural populations to reach nearby keystone urban centers, they found that peri-urban areas are home to nearly 40 percent of the global population, equally distributed in the surrounding areas of small, intermediate, and large cities.

These results challenge the centrality of large cities in development narratives and plans. Peri-urban areas often fall through the cracks of policies designed for city residents and rural farmers, highlighting the need for greater coordination between urban and rural administrative authorities in order to help these in-between populations to leverage their proximity to towns and cities to access education, services and employment opportunities more efficiently.

The strikingly low figure cited at the outset describes people who live more than three hours – measured in terms of the available mode of transit from an urban settlement of 20,000 people or more. On a national level, the figure of population in the hinterlands rises above 5 percent in only three countries with populations greater than 10 million: Madagascar, Niger and Zimbabwe.

Higher income does not always equate with higher urbanity

The findings highlight how the notion that higher-income countries are more urban is too simplistic. For example, more than half the rural populations in low-income countries live in high-density areas, six times more than is the case in high-income countries. That partly reflects a penchant for low-density suburban housing in affluent nations, as well as the way better road infrastructure can make it easier to live further – in distance rather than time – from the center of the local URCA.

The evidence shows that while large cities are now home to more than 40 percent of the world’s urban population, and nearly 50 percent for Latin America and the Caribbean, they draw proportionally fewer people into their functional orbit than smaller cities.

The dominance of small cities and towns and their catchment areas in low per capita income countries highlights the need for policies aimed at improving off-farm employment opportunities, education and health services, as well as for local food systems and for appropriate land-use strategies and transportation infrastructure investments.

The data provided can support a territorial perspective -already tested in high-income countries – that takes account of interlinkages between cities and their surrounding rural areas, leading to greater access to off-farm employment, a better-integrated local agri-food system, and less migration.

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Pulses can change the world for good. They are a good source of protein and are the most sustainable form of protein humans can produce. To mark World Pulses Day, the United Nations hosted a virtual event, where the Pope endorsed pulses. 

Speaking at the opening of FAO’s virtual event to mark World Pulses Day, QU Dongyu, the director of the FAO highlighted pulses’ incredible potential for contributing towards transforming agri-food systems – making them more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.  

“World Pulses Day is a valuable opportunity to pay tribute to this diverse and versatile commodity,” said the FAO Director-General.

What are pulses?

Think of the food from India or the Middle East: Pulses are the edible seeds of legume plants, such as lentils, chickpeas and Bambara beans.

Qu highlighted that pulses required less water than other protein sources, and could be planted on small plots of land; were an affordable source of safe and nutritious food, high in protein, fibre, vitamins and micronutrients; and could fix atmospheric nitrogen, release high-quality organic matter in the soil and facilitate soil nutrients’ circulation and water retention.

“Less fertilizers, a smaller water footprint and reduced use of energy, means lower greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

The Director-General also pointed out that pulses have a higher cost-benefit ratio than other staples, which helps diversify and improve the income of rural people, often women and youth and located in vulnerable regions.

“Pulses have a long shelf life. Shifting consumption patterns to more pulses could, therefore, contribute to reducing food waste,” he said, noting that this characteristic has proved useful during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people without access to fresh food could still consume pulses.

Pulses are a noble food says the Pope

Pope Francis said that pulses were a noble food, with a huge potential to bolster food security globally. Pulses are simple and nutritious food that overcomes geographical barriers and go beyond social classes and cultures, he noted.

Pope Francis also deplored the fact that many people, including children, didn’t have healthy or sufficient food, and stressed that the consumption of healthy diets should be a universal right, with states having to play a key role in making this a reality.

All the countries that support pulses

Argentina’s Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Luis Eugenio Basterra, extolled the many virtues of pulses, including their being an excellent crop in dry environments where food production was difficult due to the scarcity of water, and especially for vulnerable populations with little or no access to technology, for whom access to food represented a true challenge.

China is the world’s fourth largest producer of pulses. China’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Renjian Tang put forward solutions to promoting the sustainable development of the world’s pulses industry by: bolstering efforts to increase pulses’ consumption; increasing the supply of pulses through production expansion, scientific and technological innovation; and establishing a global common market for pulses.

Narendra Singh Tomar, India’s Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said that pulses were especially important in a country such as India where the population was mostly vegetarian and considered pulses a major food item. He noted that his country had achieved near self-sufficiency in pulses production, and was the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses, producing nearly a quarter of the world’s pulses.

France is the largest producer of pulses in the European Union. France’s Minister for Agriculture and Food, Julien Denormandie, said that protein crops, especially pulses, were the crops of the future. He noted that France’s objective was to increase areas planted with pulses by 40 percent over the next three years, and to boost the consumption of pulses, including through the school meals programme.

Burkina Faso played a leading role in the designation of World Pulses Day. The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to FAO, Joseìphine Ouedraogo, highlighted the key role of women in the production, processing and distribution of pulses in local markets. The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Argentina to FAO, Carlos Bernardo Cherniak, agreed, noting that pulse production initiatives contributed to the empowerment of rural and indigenous women.

The President of Cuatro Pinos – a cooperative of indigenous women in Guatemala – Sandra Xiquin emphasized that pulses such as beans were important to the people of her country; however, the tradition of cooking and consuming pulses was no longer as strong as it used to be and it was important for this tradition to be restored. 

Pulses are a pandemic food

The UN Food Systems Summit 2021 Special Envoy, Agnes Kalibata, said that pulses provided a potential answer to several questions regarding how to “recover better” after COVID-19. Kalibata also encouraged everyone at the event to get their ideas on the table, including elevating the role of pulses in food systems, and to participate in the food systems dialogues.

The President of the Global Pulse Confederation 2021, Cindy Brown, noted that, globally, there had been an increase of about nine percent in the consumption of pulses over this past year of the pandemic – more than double the increase in consumption was estimated to result from the successful 2016 International Year of Pulses.  

The World Trade Organization Counsellor, Diwakar Dixit, pointed out that the global production of pulses had grown by over 50 percent in the last 20 years, with developing countries playing an important role. Global pulses trade has grown two times faster than growth in production with some of the poorest countries on the planet being amongst the top exporters of pulses, he said.

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Last years e-waste weighed substantially more than all the adults in Europe, or as much as 350 cruise ships the size of the Queen Mary 2. Another metric: 15 pounds for ever person on earth, every year.

Wonder why the planet is lashing back with plagues like Covid-19, floods, global warming? It’s all connected and even though over there and out there is far away, a record amount of e-waste or electronic waste is building up in our planet putting everyone, not just the vulnerable –- at risk.

The United Nations sent Green Prophet a new report: a record 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019, up 21 per cent in just five years, according to the United Nations in their Global E-waste Monitor 2020.

The new report also predicts global e-waste – discarded products with a battery or plug – will reach 74 Mt by 2030, almost a doubling of e-waste in just 16 years. This makes e-waste the world’s fastest-growing domestic waste stream, fueled mainly by higher consumption rates of electric and electronic equipment, short life cycles, and few options for repair.

A sad state for electronics recycling

Only 17.4 percent of 2019’s e-waste was collected and recycled. This means that gold, silver, copper, platinum and other high-value, recoverable materials conservatively valued at US $57 billion — a sum greater than the gross domestic product of most countries – were mostly dumped or burned rather than being collected for treatment and reuse.

Who are the biggest polluters, by continent?

Asia, no doubt, being the factory and dumpsite of the world, generated the greatest volume of e-waste in 2019 — some 24.9 Mt, followed by the Americas (13.1 Mt) and Europe (12 Mt), while Africa and Oceania generated 2.9 Mt and 0.7 Mt respectively.

E-waste is a health and environmental hazard, containing toxic additives or hazardous substances such as mercury, which damages the human brain and its coordination system.

About 15 pounds for ever person on earth

• Proper e-waste management can help mitigate global warming. Countries like Israel have made plans and bills but there is very little on the ground enforcement. It’s especially a concern in places like China where the oversight in production is murky and where it is hard to find details of true environment conservation. In 2019, an estimated 98 Mt of CO2-equivalents were released into the atmosphere from discarded fridges and air-conditioners, contributing roughly 0.3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. That means every new appliance you buy, one goes to landfill.
• In per capita terms, last year’s discarded e-waste averaged 7.3 kg for every man, woman and child on Earth.
• An estimated 50 tonnes of mercury — used in monitors, PCBs and fluorescent and energy-saving light sources — are contained in undocumented flows of e-waste annually.
• E-waste in 2019 was mainly comprised of small equipment (17.4 Mt), large equipment (13.1 Mt), and temperature exchange equipment (10.8 Mt). Screens and monitors, small IT and telecommunication equipment, and lamps represented 6.7 Mt, 4.7 Mt, and 0.9 Mt respectively.
• Since 2014, the e-waste categories increasing fastest in total weight terms are: temperature exchange equipment (+7 percent), large equipment (+5 percent), lamps and small equipment (+4 percent). According to the report, this trend is driven by the growing consumption of those products in lower-income countries, where those products improve the living standards. Small IT and telecommunication equipment have been growing more slowly, and screens and monitors have shown a slight decrease (-1 per cent), explained largely by lighter flat panel displays replacing heavy cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors and screens.
• Since 2014, the number of countries that have adopted a national e-waste policy, legislation or regulation has increased from 61 to 78. While a positive trend, this is far from the target set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which is to raise the percentage of countries with an e-waste legislation to 50 per cent.

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The UN has decided we need more days to celebrate food and agriculture and has decided that 2021 is the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, 21 May as International Tea Day and 29 September as International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste.

“Without healthy diets, we cannot hope to end malnutrition – and we will not eradicate hunger unless we curb food losses,” said FAO Deputy Director-General for Climate and Natural Resources Maria Helena Semedo. “By highlighting the value of fruits and vegetables, and the damage caused by loss and waste, the UN has taken a decisive step to promote fairer, greener, more efficient food systems. Honouring tea is a fitting tribute to the legions of smallholder farmers who help produce what is the world’s favourite drink, after water itself.”

Other resolutions, adopted by the UN General Assembly focused on progress and challenges related to agriculture, food security and nutrition; sustainable mountain development; the role of agricultural technology; the importance of natural plant fibres for livelihoods and the environment, and the need to eradicate rural poverty. 

Fruit and vegetables

Chile has been a champion of devoting a year to promote fruit and vegetables, which have well-known nutritional qualities and also contribute to the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

FAO and the World Health Organization recommend that each adult consumes at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis to prevent chronic NCDs, including heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and obesity, as well as to counter micronutrient deficiencies. 

Advocacy for fresh produce also fits well with the aim of strengthening the role of smallholder and family farmers, and fosters broader market options for millions of rural families. Gender equity opportunities are also noteworthy, as women often play leading roles for their households in both the production and consumption of fruit and vegetables. 

Tea

International Tea Day has been celebrated by some countries – notably in South Asia and Tanzania – where tea has been a major commodity and important beverage for some time.

India proposed that FAO endorsed a greater recognition. The UNGA resolution was presented by Group of 77 and China. 

The observance is meant to acknowledge and promote the herb’s contribution to human health, socialization, rural development and sustainable livelihoods. Tea is a major cash crop for millions of families in developing countries and as a labor-intensive sector, including processing, the industry provides jobs in remote and economically disadvantaged areas. 

Food loss and waste

Andorra and San Marino played a key role in proposing the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (FLW). The day offers an opportunity to sharpen focus on the need to reduce FLW and how doing so can contribute to sustainable development. 

As explored in depth in FAO’s 2019 State of Food and Agriculture, food loss and waste entails significant emissions that exacerbate the challenge of climate change as well as impact on food security. An estimated 14 percent of the world’s food is lost along the chain from the point of harvest to the retail level, and likely even more is wasted later.

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