Plastics matter in the food system

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  • J Yates
    London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
  • M Deeney
    London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
  • J Munck
    Food Packaging Forum Foundation
  • B Carney Almroth
    University of Gothenburg
  • Marie-France Dignac
    French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE)
  • Arturo Castillo Castillo
    University of Utrecht
  • Winnie Courtene-Jones
  • Suneetha Kadiyala
    London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
  • Eva Kumar
  • Peter Stoett
    University of Ontario Institute of Technology
  • Mengjiao Wang
    Greenpeace Research Laboratories
  • Trisia Farrelly
    Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand
Agriculture and food systems are major sources of plastic pollution but they are also vulnerable to their diverse lifecycle impacts. However, this problem is not well-recognized in global policy and scientific discourse, agendas, and monitoring of food systems. The United Nations-led Global Plastics Treaty, which has been under negotiation since 2022, is a critical opportunity to address pollution across the entire plastics lifecycle for more sustainable and resilient food systems. Here, we offer aspirational indicators for future monitoring of food systems’ plastics related to (1) plastic polymers and chemicals, (2) land use, (3) trade and waste, and (4) environmental and human health. We call for interdisciplinary research collaborations to continue improving and harmonising the evidence base necessary to track and trace plastics and plastic chemicals in food systems. We also highlight the need for collaboration across disciplines and sectors to tackle this urgent challenge for biodiversity, climate change, food security and nutrition, health and human rights at a whole systems level.
Original languageEnglish
JournalCommunications Earth and Environment
Volume6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6 Mar 2025
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