The reconfiguration of the agri-food system and the relationship between the economy and nature: imperatives for a fair and sustainable climate transition

Even if an energy transition were to take place, the maintenance of the conventional model of food production and consumption would be enough, in itself, to prevent the achievement of the Paris Agreement goals. In Brazil, the agri-food system is directly or indirectly responsible for three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions. Altering this scenario requires technological innovations but also changes in the mechanisms that turn the expansion of the agricultural frontier into a safety valve for problems related to competitiveness, rising costs, and internal conflicts within agribusiness. Therefore, there will be no transition of the agri-food system that can be called just or sustainable without transformations in the productive model, as well as in spatial occupation patterns and in the relationship between economy and nature. This is the main argument of the article. The analysis is based on a literature and document review and on interviews with key informants and the results are organized around five components: the role of the agri-food system in the climate agenda; the profile of emissions in Brazil and the link between the technological model and the use of natural resources; the responses from different social forces and the State; the way governance forums have addressed these issues; and an outline of possible pathways to foster transformations consistent with the normative ideals of justice and sustainability. The analysis of these components leads to the conclusion that a reconfiguration is already underway, but that it has so far been marked by significant obstacles and ambiguities that limit its scope.

Keywords:
Climate change; agrarian question; agri-food system transition; climate justice