The summary of a special U.N.-commissioned report on land and climate was released on August 8, 2019, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report warns that the large amount of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from agricultural practices focused on meat and dairy production is a significant contributor to global warming.

The U.N. climate report’s recommendations on land use, agriculture, and community food systems are what James Farmer has been researching for years. Farmer is an Associate Professor with IU's O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and member of IU CASEL. As an expert on sustainable agricultural and food production, James Farmer was available to comment on the report.