Options for reforming agricultural subsidies from health, climate, and economic perspectives

On the 10th January 2022, Nature Communications published an article by Dr Marco Springmann, Foresight 2.0 report Lead Expert Group member and senior researcher, Oxford Martin School, and Dr. Florian Freund, economic researcher, Oxford Martin School, co-funded by the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition. The article discusses the use of integrated modeling frameworks to reform agricultural subsidies in line with health and climate-change objectives on one side, and economic objectives on the other.

The article looks at different outcomes under the different scenarios: Removal of subsidies; repurposing of subsidies; and restructuring of subsidies.

The findings suggest that reforming agricultural subsidy schemes based on health and climate-change objectives can be economically feasible and contribute to transitions towards healthy and sustainable food systems. It is also suggested that model-based analyses in addition to technological innovation and changes in farming practices will be needed to achieve healthy diets for a growing population, whilst staying within the environmental limits of the food systems.

The full article can be found here.