In a report released today, the WB says that this neutrality is the "Recipe for a Habitable Planet", and identifies areas of action for countries and actions at national and global levels that can reduce emissions. In the document, the WB warns that the sector contributes more to climate change than is believed, with almost a third of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from the agri-food sector. The sector's largest emissions, two-thirds, occur in middle-income countries, where economies and populations are growing, with wealthy countries registering the highest emissions per person and the poor contributing to little more than a tenth of global emissions. The WB notes in the report that the agri-food sector must reduce emissions to zero by 2050, to avoid a rise in global temperatures above 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era, and that it is necessary to increase investment in reducing emissions. "We estimate that annual investments will have to increase 18-fold to halve current agri-food emissions by 2030 and put the world on a path to net zero emissions by 2030," the report says. The WB admits that there may be job losses in the process, and if not careful, the food supply could be disrupted. But it warns that the risks of doing nothing are greater, because inaction also leads to job losses and would then make the planet uninhabitable. According to the WB, investing in reducing emissions will have benefits in terms of health, the economy and the environment that could amount to 4.3 trillion dollars in 2030, more than the value of the German economy. Part of the financing can be done by transferring funds from unnecessary subsidies, it argues. "The costs are estimated to be less than half the amount the world spends each year on agricultural subsidies, many of which are wasteful and harmful to the environment." The WB also notes that most of the opportunities for reducing agri-food emissions are in middle-income countries, especially in 15 of these countries. For this reduction, it proposes low-emission livestock practices, sustainable land use, more ecological pre- and post-production processes, reducing the conversion of forests into farmland or pastures, promoting reforestation, reducing methane in cattle and rice paddies, and combating waste. Wealthy countries can reduce energy emissions, help poorer countries in the transition, and influence consumption by shifting subsidies from red meat and dairy to low-emission foods such as poultry, fruits and vegetables. Poorer countries, on the other hand, should seize the opportunities of greener economies, improved and intelligent agricultural practices, and above all preserve forests. In the report, the WB says that feeding humans is making the planet sick and that there are measures that can be taken whose costs are estimated at five percent of the trillions of dollars that the world spent in 2022 on fossil fuel subsidies, many "wasteful and harmful to the environment". The WB asks wealthy countries to accelerate renewable energies, help poorer countries and look at their own food consumption, "a big part of the problem". The WB offers middle-income countries the opportunities of more sustainable and profitable businesses, and asks the poorest countries to take advantage of existing technologies and conserve and restore ecosystems. The private sector must act to anticipate growing pressure from governments and consumers for sustainability, civil society and farmers must also pressure policy makers in this direction, and consumers are asked to become more informed, learning more about the origin of their food. "The food on your table may taste good, but the way it is produced can cause climate change, pollute the planet, invade natural habitats, cause deforestation and much more. The good news is that if we all act now, food can help heal the planet," appeals the World Bank. Read Also: World Bank gives 28 million for tourism and blue economy in Cape Verde (Portuguese version)