Explore ten facts from 'The Economics of Eating' that reveal the hidden costs of our global food system, and the potential of local food economies.
2.
70%
of the world’s farmland is controlled by just 1% of the world’s largest farms.
Source: IPES Food, 2024
3.
5 Of 6 agricultural sectors
meet the definition of an oligopoly, with four companies controlling more than 40% of the market.
Source: GRAIN & ETC Group, 2026
5.
One-third
of global human-caused greenhouse-gas emissions come from food systems.
Source: Nature Food, 2021
6.
86%
of species currently at risk of extinction face agriculture as an identified threat.
Source: UNEP / Chatman House, 2021
7.
57%
of dietary intake in the US comes from ultra-processed foods; sales of ultra-processed foods doubled in developing countries between 2006 and 2019.
Source: The Guardian, 2023
8.
$1 Million a minute
— the amount of public money going into global farm subsidies, while just 1% of the $700 billion annual total was found to benefit the environment.
Source: The Guardian, 2019
9.
Up to 70%
of the world’s population is fed through local and regional food systems involving small-scale producers, processors and vendors.
Source: IPES Food, 2024
10.
79%
of studies reviewed found higher yields on smaller farms, while 77% found greater biodiversity.
Source: Nature Sustainibility, 2021
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The Economics of Eating
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