Giving Compass' Take:

• Global food production and unsustainable livestock farming are large contributors to climate change. Sonia Elks at Global Citizen describes healthier ways to manage our food supply.

• How can donors help make an impact on reducing the harms of the meat industry?

• Read about how food and agriculture represent both the cause and solutions to climate change.

The world's population must drastically change diets in order to prevent "potentially catastrophic" damage to the planet, scientists have warned.

Global food production is the largest strain on the earth caused by humans and unsustainable farming is already driving climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss, found a major project commissioned by The Lancet health journal.

As researchers warned that people must sharply cut the amount of meat they eat to live sustainably, here is why managing food supply is key to controlling climate change:

  • Agricultural Emissions: Livestock farming for meat and dairy represents more than half of that total at 14.5% of all emissions, with cattle the biggest offenders.
  • Land Use: Agriculture is the biggest single driver of deforestation, stripping away forests that reduce climate change by absorbing and storing carbon.
  • Water Use: About 70% of the world's freshwater is used for agriculture, with climate change expected to increase the number of people facing water scarcity.
  • Waste: Up to a third of all food is wasted — totalling around 1.3 billion tonnes per year. It results in unnecessary emissions and means food does not reach those who need it.
  • A Growing Population: The number of people on earth is expected to grow to 9.8 billion by 2050, adding pressure on the world's resources

Read the full article about how healthier food could help stop climate change by Sonia Elks at Global Citizen.