Land use change — primarily deforestation for agriculture — accounts for roughly 10–15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This makes the food system one of the largest emitters, comparable to all transportation.

The breakdown: beef production is by far the most carbon-intensive food (per calorie), primarily through methane from enteric fermentation and land clearing for grazing. Shifting from beef to chicken reduces food-related emissions dramatically; shifting to plant protein more so.

The political economy is difficult: land use change is diffuse, involves millions of small actors, and intersects with food sovereignty and poverty. There is no single lever.

Related: [[carbon-pricing]], [[@frank/seed-saving-notes]]