If 80 % of people in richer countries adopted mostly vegan diets and reduced their food waste by a third , while poorer countries were given water and land restoration support , global agricultural systems could absorb carbon by half , rather than massively contributing to it as they currently do , according to new research . A roadmap for rapid decarbonization. The study said that tree - planting programmes and better farming practices to improve soil fertility would also be required to bring about the change . The analysis said that more environmentally - conscious agriculture and land management could take the world almost a third of the way towards fulfilling the Paris Climate targets .
If 80 % of people in richer countries adopted mostly vegan diets and reduced their food waste by a third , while poorer countries were given water and land restoration support , global agricultural systems could absorb carbon by half , rather than massively contributing to it as they currently do , according to new research . The study said that tree - planting programmes and better farming practices to improve soil fertility would also be required to bring about the change . The analysis said that more environmentally - conscious agriculture and land management could take the world almost a third of the way towards fulfilling the Paris Climate targets .