The harms caused by the global food system must be urgently addressed or else Earth’s life-support systems risk passing irreversible tipping points.

The stark warning came from WWF, which reported a “catastrophic” average decline in wildlife populations of 73% in the past 50 years (1970-2020).

In its biennial Living Planet Report into the state of nature, the conservation charity warned that the world is fast approaching dangerous irreversible tipping points including the potential collapse of the Amazon rainforest and the rapid melting of polar ice, both of which help regulate the planet’s climate and sustain a wide range of life.

Passing these tipping points would “pose grave threats to humanity and most species, and would damage Earth’s life-support systems and destabilise societies everywhere”.

The report stated: “It is no exaggeration to say that what happens in the next five years will determine the future of life on Earth.”

WWF called for urgent action to transform the way we grow our food, generate energy and run our financial system to ensure nature is protected and restored. Without transformative action, it warned that the 2030 sustainable development goals would be missed.

Within the overall 73% decline in average monitored wildlife populations, species in Latin America and the Caribbean have seen even more extreme average declines of 95%.

WWF said that the less severe declines seen in Europe and North America are due to countries there, including the UK, having destroyed much of their biodiversity before the 1970 benchmark. It said these countries are now effectively offshoring nature loss to other parts of the world, for example by importing livestock feed grown on formerly wild areas, including biodiverse areas such as the Amazon.

The report warned that global tipping points such as the dieback of the Amazon rainforest, or the mass die-off of coral reefs, could create shockwaves far and wide, impacting food security and livelihoods on a global scale.

The dysfunction in our food system means food production uses 40% of the earth’s habitable land and is the leading cause of habitat loss through conversion of forests and grasslands to farmland. 

WWF said coordinated action is now needed to scale up nature-friendly production of enough nutritious food for everyone and reducing food loss and waste.

“The Living Planet Report serves as a health check for the planet, with wildlife population sizes a key indicator for the state of the wider natural world. A staggering 73% decline in just 50 years is truly shocking and must be a wake-up call for our leaders ahead of the crucial COP16 and COP29 summits,” said Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF-UK. 

She continued: “More worrying still is the prospect of reaching global tipping points, risking not just the survival of precious animal species, but the basis for human society as well. We rely on nature for so much – the food we eat, the air we breathe, our mental health and well-being. If we pass these tipping points, we’ll be putting our societies, our economies, and the future of our children at risk.

“It’s not too late to change course – this could be a turning point instead of a tipping point. As a G7 nation, the UK must take bold action to transform our finance, energy and food systems to protect our world. We are calling for a Living Planet Act to ensure the UK government leads the way in tackling this global crisis and works tirelessly to meet the crucial 2030 global targets.”