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“ At this point , more than 60 % of our innovation projects are geared towards that transition ,” Leurs elaborates , “ towards making the food value chain more effective and more sustainable in the future .”
Empowering the energy and agri-food transitions In the same report , the FAO also pinpoints energy security as a major global concern . The two are very closely linked ; food production is a resource-intensive industry , meaning fluctuations in wholesale energy prices – as we have been seeing since the beginning of the war in Ukraine – have a major impact on farmers , growers , and food producers .
“ Agri-food systems are becoming more energy-intensive ,” the FAO report says , “ and this has implications for food prices , as well as for the environment . On the one hand , several studies have highlighted the relationship between energy and food prices , and the recent hikes in food prices have been pushed up by increases in energy prices . On the other hand , it has been estimated that almost a third of the emissions of the global agrifood system comes from energy-related activities .”
One thing we can do is reduce the amount of water needed for growing crops , and transitioning to renewable energy wherever possible within the food value chain . But the FAO also highlights the source of energy for cooking as a problem : in 2019 , a third of the global population relied on wood , charcoal or agricultural residues for their household cooking needs – a demand that , in some cases , outstripped the abundance of natural supply .
Explaining how Rabobank empowers the energy transition , Leurs says : “ We are one of the biggest financiers of wind farms around the world , but we also have the obligation of making sure that we bring clients with us in making this huge transition to a more
38 May 2023