The food on our plates is fast becoming the new frontier for fossil fuel profits, with modern food systems accounting for up to 40 per cent of global petrochemical use, according to a new report.Released on June 25, 2025, Fuel to Fork: What Will it Take to Get Fossil Fuels Out of Our Food Systems? reveals how oil, gas and their derivatives are deeply embedded in nearly every stage of the global food chain, from synthetic fertilisers and pesticides to plastic packaging, cooking fuels and ultra-processed foods. This largely hidden dependence, the authors argued, is intensifying the twin crises of climate change and food insecurity.The report, published by global thinktank International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), states that around one-third (34 per cent) of all petrochemicals are used to produce synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, while a further 6 per cent go into plastics. Combined, this means food systems consume roughly 40 per cent of global petrochemicals.“With petrochemicals the single largest driver of oil demand growth, food systems are now fuelling fossil fuel expansion, even as other sectors begin to decarbonise,” IPES-Food stated in a press release. .Earlier in 2023, the Global Alliance for the Future of Food estimated that food systems account for at least 15 per cent of total fossil fuel use, which already exceeding that of several heavy industries. “For example, the steel industry consumes 8 per cent of global energy (mainly coal), while the paper and mining industries consume 6 per cent and 1.7 per cent of global energy, respectively,” the report said. The largest fossil fuel consumer in agriculture is synthetic fertiliser production. Roughly 99 per cent of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers and pesticides are fossil fuel-derived. Additionally, about one-third of petrochemicals go toward fertiliser manufacturing, the report noted. Meanwhile, food and drink packaging accounts for at least 10 per cent of global plastic use, with agriculture using another 3.5 per cent..The United States, European Union and other high-income countries currently use up to 10 times more fertiliser per capita than low-income countries. With demand surging, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has projected a 50 per cent rise in global nitrogen fertiliser use by 2050, with the industry particularly targeting the Global South for expansion..Earth Day 2025: Regenerative food systems are sustainable ways that can produce what we eat besides nurturing and protecting the planet.Hidden cost of food packaging.The report detailed fossil fuel usage across the food supply chain, with the largest share – 42 per cent – coming from mid-chain activities. These include energy-intensive processes such as transforming, manufacturing, packaging and transporting food to retailers and consumers.While plastics were widespread across the food system, including on the farm, plastic packaging was a huge source of fossil fuel usage in mid-chain activities, especially when it came to ultra-processed foods. Asia is the largest regional market for plastic packaging, with China leading both production and consumption. In 2023, the continent accounted for over 43 per cent of global revenues and is projected to grow rapidly through to 2030, with China, India, Vietnam, South Korea and Thailand driving demand.Among other mid-chain activities, food transport, while also fossil fuel-dependent, was found to contribute only 4.8 per cent of food-related greenhouse gas emissions, compared to the broader fossil fuel footprint of food systems. “Food miles often get more attention because they are more visible to consumers, who tend to think about fossil fuel use in their own travel,” the report said. The findings come amid escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia and volatile oil prices. Making a case for delinking food from fossil fuels, the experts warned that with food and energy prices deeply intertwined, food and fertiliser prices could soon be affected, putting millions at risk of hunger. .“Tethering food to fossil fuels means tying dinner plates to oil rigs and conflict zones. When oil prices rise, so does hunger — that’s the peril of a food system addicted to fossil fuels. Delinking food from fossil fuels has never been more critical to stabilise food prices and ensure people can access food,” IPES-Food expert Raj Patel said in a statement. .Public money subsidising fossil fuel use.The report also pointed to massive public subsidies propping up fossil fuel use. Direct annual subsidies for coal, oil and gas have surged to $2 trillion, while a further $540 billion a year is allocated to agricultural subsidies, the majority of which supports chemical-intensive commodity crop production.Much of this funding takes the form of price protections or direct payments tied to specific crops or inputs. “Fertiliser subsidies, in particular, promote overuse and have contributed to up to 17 per cent of all nitrogen pollution in water over the past 30 years,” the report said. Some of the most prominent ‘fixes’ to food insecurity and agricultural emissions may in fact entrench the problem. The report warns that digital agriculture, often presented as a climate-smart fix, risks locking food systems into continued fossil fuel dependence.“…. digitisation of agriculture is driving rapid expansion of energy-intensive data centres, while assuming perpetual usage of fossil-based chemical fertilisers and pesticides, albeit in more precise applications,” the report said.Although it is now well-established that food systems are responsible for nearly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, the role of fossil fuels powering every link – from fertiliser factories to cold storage and supermarket shelves — has been largely absent from national climate commitments and global negotiations.“At the 2023 climate summit in Dubai, COP28, governments unanimously agreed on transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade. Food systems were left out of this agreement, but are clearly a major part of the challenge,” it said. The authors urged the governments to seize the opportunity at COP30 in Brazil to phase out fossil fuel and agrochemical subsidies and shift food and farming toward agroecology, shorter supply chains and resilient local food systems. .Read all the news related to food in Hindi