True cost of food and land degradation

Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals critically depends on well-functioning food systems which can provide sufficient and healthy for all in an environmentally sustainable, economically viable socially equitable manner. However, current are failing these dimensions. In fact, generating substantial amounts environmental, health-related, social, economic externalities negatively affecting the well-being present future generations people, particularly that poorest most vulnerable. True cost accounting approaches, a research frontier sustainability sciences, seek to comprehensively measure so far unaccounted from propose solutions addressing their negative social welfare effects. Contributing discussions true costs food, this paper traces environmental ecosystems degradation due cropland expansion during period 2001 2009 at global level. The results show caused by growing demands has led 511 million hectares higher value forest, woodland, shrubland grassland globally, with total equaling 435 billion U.S. dollars. This means each year community is incurring 54 dollars externality because alone. Addressing problem requires flexible government regulation combining incentive mechanisms such as payments ecosystem services carbon pricing, legislative deterrents, e. g., friendly cadastral planning, fines, taxes. Current primarily focused identifying extent systems. knowledge does not always automatically translate into action. key impetus actions pricing would come closing gaps transaction implementation development innovative reducing them.