The gateway to dependable and affordable energy is fundamental to ensure the effective working of the food value chain, which in turn is essential to ensure food security. Renewable energy solutions and integrated food-energy systems can directly advance energy and food security, while also contributing to job creation, gender equality, and climate resilience and adaptation.

Energy is required at each step of the food value chain from production to consumption. Globally, the food sector accounts for approximately 30% of the world’s total energy consumption. Direct energy is used at the operational level primarily on farms and processing plants, for example for irrigation and harvesting as well as food processing and packaging. Indirect energy, on the other hand, is the energy embedded within various inputs used within the agri-food sector. It includes the energy required to manufacture inputs such as machinery, frying oils, and seasonings.

Currently, the global food value chain is predominantly dependent on fossil fuels for its energy requirement, which produces GHG emissions and contributes to climate change. The food system (primary food production and the food supply chain, including landfill gas produced from food wastes), contributes approximately 22% of total annual greenhouse gas emissions, FAO experts say. There is, therefore the need to find alternative ways of powering agriculture and food processing plants that can maintain or increase food security while minimizing its impact on climate and the environment.

One of the ways of pursuing this would be to analyze practices and technologies that can make smart use of energy within the agri-food chain. Such ‘energy-smart’ food chains are fundamental to meeting future food and energy challenges. These strategies may include ensuring better energy efficiency at each step of the food value chain as well as diversifying sources of energy for agricultural uses, with a gradual but steady emphasis on renewable energy. This includes recycling, where possible, and waste streams produced at various steps of the food value chain to produce energy. Improving energy use efficiency in crop cultivation, irrigation, and fertilizer use, as well as the storage, processing, transport, distribution, and preparation of food is required to make food systems energy-smart.

Additionally, diversifying sources of energy that are consumed by the agri-food chain will also help in improving the sustainability of the food chain. Bio-energy crops, biomass residues from food production and processing, and renewable energy platforms, such as wind, solar, mini-hydro, and geothermal are possible sources of renewable energy that can be harnessed in energy-smart food systems.

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