NEW YORK

2020NHSMUN

UNEAUnited Nations Environment Assembly

Update Paper

Email: info@imuna.org

Phone: +1 (212) 652-9992

Web: www.nhsmun.org

Dear Delegates,

My name is Subin Moon, and I am absolutely thrilled to serve as the Assistant Director of the United Nations Environment Assembly for Session I of NHSMUN 2020! I have been in the MUN community for four years now, participating in conferences around the world in cities including Dubai, Shanghai, New York, and more. This will be my first year on NHSMUN staff but my third NHSMUN conference in total, as I have been a delegate for the past two years. Although I started MUN as a very shy and quiet delegate, I owe so much to the MUN community for fueling my inter-est in global politics, helping me build friendships that transcend borders. Mun has also provided me with so many amazing and unforgettable memories—going on late night pizza runs, running in the rain to catch the Lion King musical after the conference, and waking up in the middle of the night because your roommate is called down for a crisis session! I hope NHSMUN 2020 brings you the same joy that it has brought me.

I am a freshman at Boston University double-majoring in economics and international relations. I was born in Seoul, South Korea, but identify as a third culture kid having lived in many other cities other than my own including Los Angeles, Dubai, Toronto, and, currently, Boston. As a freshman on campus, I have staffed two MUN conferences at my university, worked as a theater tech for two productions, and was part of the FY101 (First Year) Leadership Council. In my free time, I love to explore the historical city of Boston, drink coffee and boba, rant with my friends, and binge TV shows on Netflix (my current favorites being You, Elite, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine).

I could not be more excited to see what you, the delegates, will bring to the table, as we will be dis-cussing two significant environmental issues that are not given enough attention. Keeping in mind that the United Nations Environment Assembly is currently the world’s highest-level decision-mak-ing organ on environmental issues, delegates are encouraged to find unique and innovative solu-tions to tackle these pressing matters. In the past two years, youth around the world have pressured world leaders to put environmental issues at the forefront of political conversation. Therefore, please take this as an opportunity to contribute your voice to the talk concerning the environment and take back what you have learned in the process to your communities to push this movement forth.

If you have any questions about the me, the conference, or anything else, please reach out! I wish you all the best in your preparation for the conference, and I cannot wait to meet you all.

Best wishes,

Subin Moonsubin.moon@imuna.orgUnited Nations Environment Assembly, Session I

Secretary-GeneralVijittra Puckdee

Director-GeneralAlthea Turley

Chiefs of StaffAlex Burr

Walker Heintz

Delegate ExperienceLuis GonzálezMerve Karakas

Domestic PartnershipsMaura Goss

Odion Ovbiagele

Global PartnershipsRenata Koch

Salmaan Rashiq

Internal AffairsLia Lee

Natalie O’Dell

Under-Secretaries-General

Michael BeeliJill Bendlak

Rose BlackwellAnnica DenktasRahul FrancisOmar Mufti

Jonathan PackerAkanksha Sancheti

John WoodAlisa Wong

Email: info@imuna.org

Phone: +1 (212) 652-9992

Web: www.nhsmun.org

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to the United Nations Environment Assembly at NHSMUN 2020! My name is Kruttika Gopal and I am the Assistant Director of the UNEA for Session II. After attending NHSMUN for all four years of high school, I enjoyed the experience so much that I had to come back! The oppor-tunity that NHSMUN grants for delegates to meet people from across the globe and participate in passionate debate is one-of-a-kind, with its engaging committee simulations and educational tools. I am so excited for all of you to experience it in just a few short weeks!

I am originally from Milford, Connecticut, and like many of you, I was involved in Model UN throughout high school. I was lucky to have participated in various conferences, including NHS-MUN, YaleMUN, and ChoateMUNC. At NHSMUN, I participated in FAO, SOCHUM, UNODC, and UNPFII, which were all amazing experiences! They taught me essential leadership skills and the importance of collaboration to enact meaningful change, which led me to what I wanted to study in college. Currently, I am a first-year student at American University in Washington, D.C., studying communications, law, economics, and government (which are all one major). On campus, I am a member of the Honors and Leadership Programs, as well as some political activism groups. Aside from academics, I love music, and I sing in an a cappella group. I am also extremely passionate about the environment and am part of the Outdoors Club. I hope to someday work in environmen-tal law or policy, so I am super happy to be a part of this committee!

My co-Assistant Director, Subin Moon, and I are thrilled to present your Update Paper, and we hope it is valuable to your research for our debate. By analyzing recent developments in the Impact of Livestock Farming on Climate Change and Environmental Damage in Post-Conflict Areas, both topics that are highly relevant in today’s world, we hope that this will guide your preparation for when our committee convenes in March. These topics are constantly evolving, so it is up to you to read what is covered in this paper as well as more developments that arise leading up to NHSMUN. Environmental issues affect the entire world greatly, so I hope you are just as eager as I am to tackle some pertinent global problems through innovative solutions.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I would love to help you prepare for the committee. Best of luck, and I cannot wait to see you in March!

Best,

Kruttika Gopalkruttika.gopal@imuna.orgUnited Nations Environment Assembly, Session II

Secretary-GeneralVijittra Puckdee

Director-GeneralAlthea Turley

Chiefs of StaffAlex Burr

Walker Heintz

Delegate ExperienceLuis GonzálezMerve Karakas

Domestic PartnershipsMaura Goss

Odion Ovbiagele

Global PartnershipsRenata Koch

Salmaan Rashiq

Internal AffairsLia Lee

Natalie O’Dell

Under-Secretaries-General

Michael BeeliJill Bendlak

Rose BlackwellAnnica DenktasRahul FrancisOmar Mufti

Jonathan PackerAkanksha Sancheti

John WoodAlisa Wong

UNEA

NHSMUN 2020

Photo Credit: JacquelinNix/Istock/Thinkstock

Topic A:Impact of Livestock Farming on Climate Change

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Introduction

1 “Current World Population,” Worldometers, last modified 30 December 2019, https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/.2 “Livestock and the Environment,” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed 14 December 2019, http://www.fao.org/livestock-environment/en/.3 Daniel Berckmans, “General Introduction to Precision Livestock Farming,” Animal Frontiers 7, No. 1 (January 2017): 6, accessed 14 De-cember 2019, https://doi.org/10.2527/af.2017.0102.4 John Piotti, “New Census of Agriculture Shows Decline in Number of America’s Farms, Farmers, and Farmland,” American Farmland Trust, 20 April 2019, accessed 30 December 2019, https://farmland.org/new-census-of-agriculture-shows-decline-in-number-of-americas-farms-farmers-and-farmland/.5 Ibid.6 Hongzhang Chen, “Lignocellulose Biorefinery Process Engineering,” Lignocellulose Biorefinery Engineering 1, No. 1 (March 2015): 167, ac-cessed 30 December 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100135-6.00006-5.7 Emanuela Tullo, Alberto Finzi, Marcella Guarino, “Review: Environmental Impact of Livestock Farming and Precision Livestock Farm-ing as a Mitigation Strategy,” Science of the Total Environment 650, No. 2 (February 2019): 2751, accessed 14 December 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.018.8 Berckmans, “General Introduction to Precision Livestock Farming.”9 Madonna Benjamin, “Precision Livestock Farming Technology for Remote Monitoring of Pig Welfare and Health: Part 1,” Michigan State University, last modified 11 September 2019, https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/precision-livestock-farming-technology-for-remote-monitor-ing-of-pig-welfare-and-health.10 Ibid.

The human population is continuing to increase at a rate of 1.08% per year, causing growing concern for the effects of climate change.1 To compensate for this rising population, livestock remains one of the principal sources of nourishment for people around the world. The global demand for livestock is projected to increase by 70% in order to feed a population that is estimated to reach 9.6 billion by 2050.2 This demand for livestock, along with poor livestock farming practices, exacerbates the detri-ments caused by climate change and precipitates harsh environmental degradation. Thus, more sus-tainable methods of farming and consumption, such as precision livestock farming or vegetarianism, may be necessary to mitigate these effects. Moreover, the United Nations Environment Assembly should focus on implementing solutions that acknowledge varying perspectives on livestock farming, including the economic reliance on livestock in many developing countries. Delegates should priori-tize preparation of research and ideas that address all facets of this complex issue.

Precision Livestock Farming

As the demand for livestock increases, the production of live-stock also increases to compensate for this rise. At the same time, the number of farmers that work to raise these live-stock is decreasing.3 For example, in the United States, the most recent 2017 agriculture census showed a 3% decrease in farms and ranches since 2012, likely due to farmland being lost to development.4 This leads to a greater number of herds for each individual farmer, which poses a challenge to these farmers by making it difficult to keep track of and manage each animal.5 Therefore, a method of livestock farming that has recently been explored by scientists to assist in this chal-lenge is precision livestock farming. This method involves the application of process engineering principles, which applies basic theories and methods of chemical engineering processes to the materials, metallurgy, biology, environment, and energy

industries.6 It uses these techniques with livestock farming to automatically monitor, model and manage animal production.7 Precision livestock farming, while giving farmers the ability to reliably account for all of their animals, also allows them to monitor animal health and welfare, reduce the environmental impact of their farming, and ensure the productivity of their livestock farming system.8

Precision livestock farming applies technological advances to each animal in a large herd in order to monitor and collect data about them.9 This data collection assists in optimizing the welfare and contribution, which is the food or resource production, of each animal.10 To conduct this monitoring, the method utilizes technologies similar to those used in video games for humans. Precision livestock farming uses sensors, artificial intelligence, and animal behavior research in order to determine information about an animal, such as health,

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productivity, behavior, and physiological responses to their environment.11 By considering animal welfare to optimize livestock performance, precision livestock farming produces a reduction in the environmental impact of raising these ani-mals.12 Monitoring when animals require attention improves a farmer’s understanding of the needs of their livestock and, in turn, increases productivity. Each animal produces its maxi-mum output, causing less animals to be required for farming over time and reducing emissions. Likewise, the introduction of precision livestock farming can reduce greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions in air, nitrates and antibiotics pollution in water bodies, and phosphorus, antibiotics, and heavy metals in the soil.13 The technology can measure emission and poten-tially adjust feeding, temperature, and other parameters that influence the emission of gases.14

The method is researched primarily in developed countries; namely with swine in the United States, where applications and availability of precision livestock farming tools have greatly increased, making it a field that should catch the at-tention of the global agriculture community.15 Technologies that are common in typical North American entertainment devices, including microphones, infrared cameras, and pres-sure sensors, have been examined as potential assistants to veterinarians and producers in the care of their livestock.16 Al-though useful, precision livestock farming requires advanced technology and hefty amounts of monetary and innovative capital. The challenge that faces precision livestock farming is its integration into a wide range of farms and not only to the pioneering farms, which have the resources to implement new methods of farming and the capability to use such ex-11 Ibid.12 Tullo, Finzi, Guarino, “Review: Environmental Impact of Livestock Farming and Precision Livestock Farming as a Mitigation Strategy.”13 Ibid. 14 Thomas M. Banhazi et al., “Precision Livestock Farming: An International Review of Scientific and Commercial Aspects,” International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering 5, No. 3 (September 2012): 6, accessed 14 December 2019, https://www.researchgate.net/pub-lication/236886712_Precision_Livestock_Farming_An_international_review_of_scientific_and_commercial_aspects.15 Benjamin, “Precision Livestock Farming Technology for Remote Monitoring of Pig Welfare and Health: Part 1.”16 Ibid.17 Ilan Halachmi, Precision Livestock Farming Applications (Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Pub, 2015), 1.18 Berckmans, “General Introduction to Precision Livestock Farming.”19 Sarah Muirhead, “Precision Livestock Farming Requires Structural/Culture Shifts,” Feedstuffs, 10 March 2019, accessed 14 December 2019, https://www.feedstuffs.com/news/precision-livestock-farming-requires-structuralculture-shifts.20 Sasha Planting, “Food Disruption: Our Time of Eating Meat Could be Drawing to a Close,” Business Maverick, 26 November 2019, accessed 15 December 2019, https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-11-26-food-disruption-our-time-of-eating-meat-could-be-draw-ing-to-a-close/.21 Ibid.22 Tad Friend, “Can a Burger Help Solve Climate Change?,” The New Yorker, 30 September 2019, accessed 8 January 2020, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/30/can-a-burger-help-solve-climate-change.23 Planting, “Food Disruption: Our Time of Eating Meat Could be Drawing to a Close.”

pensive systems.17 It is a rising topic of exploration for farm-ing scientists, but has yet to become a widely acknowledged approach by farmers globally. To further the field application of this type of system to implement reliable solutions, real farms should increase development and testing of precision livestock farming technologies.18 The value of this technology will not be recognized globally until there is relatively broad adoption and research of it.19

Meat Alternatives and the Rise of Vegetarian-ism and Veganism

The consumption of meat provides sustenance for communi-ties around the world, but it comes with many negative effects on the environment. Meat production as a whole can often be an inefficient approach to creating protein from a “feed input to food output” perspective.20 For example, cows consume 100 calories for every one calorie of protein returned and chicken only convert about 20% of gross feed energy into animal pro-tein.21 As this inefficiency raises concerns about the carbon impact of meat production, alternative proteins have been re-searched by scientists. Many new technologies create synthet-ic proteins that could have positive implications for climate change.22 Animal-free and plant-based proteins are expanding in developed countries like the United States; companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods use advanced technol-ogy to isolate compounds from plants which can recreate the taste and texture of meat.23 This market is projected to make rapid advances and may soon overtake the livestock indus-try in countries with the available technologies. With cellular cultured meat, the industrialized animal-agriculture system in

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place could become replaced by a food-as-software model, in

which foods are engineered by scientists on a molecular level

and then made accessible to food designers anywhere in the

world through a database.24 However, it is important to note

that some alternative proteins may be more environmentally

sustainable than others. For example, Beyond burgers and Im-

possible burgers are created from pea protein and genetically

modified soy, respectively.25 These products may have about

half the carbon footprint that chicken does, but also have five

times more of a footprint than a bean patty.26

24 Ibid.25 Emma Newburger and Amelia Lucas, “Beyond Meat Uses Climate Change to Market Fake Meat Substitutes. Scientists are Cautious,” Consumer News and Business Channel, 2 September 2019, accessed 4 January 2020, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/02/beyond-meat-uses-climate-change-to-market-fake-meat-substitutes-scientists-are-cautious.html.26 Ibid.27 Chris Horseman, “No Meat Today: The Rise of Vegetarianism and Veganism,” IEG Policy Agribusiness, 1 October 2019, accessed 15 De-cember 2019, https://iegpolicy.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/PL221686/No-meat-today-The-rise-of-vegetarianism-and-veganism. 28 Debora Rey, “Vegetarians Gaining Ground in Carnivorous Argentina,” AP News, 4 September 2019, accessed 15 December 2019, https://apnews.com/aa08feea3dd9487480817f67dadd0f5e.29 Josh Wilson, “Eating Some Meat is Better for the Environment than Going Vegetarian, New Study Finds,” The Telegraph, 17 September 2019, accessed 15 December 2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/eating-meat-better-environment-going-vegetarian-finds-new-study/.

As alternative protein options grow, the accessibility of a meat-free diet is growing as well. Vegetarianism and vegan-ism are on the rise around the world. Between 2014 and 2018, the number of vegans in the United Kingdom quadrupled and continues to rise now.27 Even in Argentina, a country in which beef production and consumption is a source of na-tional pride, vegetarianism and veganism has increased.28 Veg-etarianism and veganism are beneficial to the environment, as a global shift to a strictly vegan diet would reduce diet-related greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 70%.29 Particularly in countries with high emissions like the United States, sustain-

A plant-based meat substitute

8| Topic A: impAcT of LivesTock fArming on cLimATe chAngeinTroducTion

able agriculture policy combined with individual dietary choic-es can have a large environmental impact. If every American swapped out all of the beef in their diet for beans, the United States would be halfway to meeting the 2020 greenhouse gas emission targets laid out in the Paris Agreement.30 Further-more, a vegetarian or vegan diet uses less water, as it requires less water to produce plant protein than meat.31 The UNEA can play an integral role in this issue by promoting vegetarian or reduced-meat diets in countries’ food-based dietary guide-lines, such as the reduced meat consumption recommended in China’s 2016 dietary guidelines.32 Dietary guidelines inform public policy, which can impact menu choices in public insti-tutions, provide direction to industry, and shift attitudes of consumers.33

Economic Reliance on Livestock Farming in Developing Countries

Reducing global livestock production and consumption is made a challenging task by the reliance of farmers in develop-ing countries on the livestock industry. For many, this industry provides a livelihood for themselves and their families. For in-stance, Brazil is the largest exporter of beef in the world, pro-viding close to 20% of total global beef exports.34 Brazilian agro-industrialists have pulled the country out of an econom-ic decline and beef exports supply many of the world’s largest countries.35 However, 85% of all agricultural operations in the country are made up by 4.4 million family farms.36 70% of 30 Sarah Kaplan, “Are my Hamburgers Hurting the Planet?,” The Washington Post, 18 November 2019, accessed 15 December 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2019/11/18/are-my-hamburgers-hurting-planet/?arc404=true.31 “Eat to Beat Climate Change,” Vegetarian Society, accessed 15 December 2019, https://www.vegsoc.org/info-hub/why-go-veggie/envi-ronment/.32 Food-based Dietary Guidelines - China,” FAO, last modified January 2020, http://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/china/en/.33 Laura Wellesley, “We Need to Eat Less Meat. Should the Government Step in?,” The Washington Post, 20 July 2016, accessed 4 January 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/07/20/we-need-to-eat-less-meat-should-the-government-step-in/.34 Mustafa Zia et al., “Brazil Once Again Becomes the World’s Largest Beef Exporter,” United States Department of Agriculture, 1 July 2019, accessed 17 December 2019, https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2019/july/brazil-once-again-becomes-the-world-s-largest-beef-exporter/.35 Anna Sophie Gross, “As Brazilian Agribusiness Booms, Family Farms Feed the Nation,” Mongabay, 17 January 2019, accessed 17 Decem-ber 2019, https://news.mongabay.com/2019/01/as-brazilian-agribusiness-booms-family-farms-feed-the-nation/.36 Ibid.37 Ibid.38 “Launch of the UN’s Decade of Family Farming to Unleash Family Farmers’ Full Potential,” FAO, 29 May 2019, accessed 17 December 2019, http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1195811/icode/.39 Ibid.40 Ibid.41 “United Nations Decade of Family Farming,” FAO, last modified 2019, http://www.fao.org/family-farming-decade/home/en/.42 FAO, “Launch of the UN’s Decade of Family Farming to Unleash Family Farmers’ Full Potential.”43 Ibid.44 Conchi Quintana, “Family Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth,” Association of Science and Technology Centers, 17 April 2014, accessed 4 January 2020, https://www.astc.org/astc-dimensions/family-farming-feeding-the-world-caring-for-the-earth/.

the food consumed in the country is produced by the family farm sector, which employs 70% of the country’s rural work-force.37 This economic reliance on farming does not stop with Brazil; family farms represent over 90% of all farms globally and produce 80% of the world’s food in value terms.38 These farms contribute greatly to food security and ending global hunger, but are also in need of support from organizations that can bolster their development.39

In May 2019, the FAO and IFAD launched the United Na-tions’ Decade of Family Farming and a Global Action Plan to boost support for family farmers, particularly those in de-veloping countries.40 The plan focuses on boosting the contri-butions of family farmers to global food security while also providing them with basic social and economic services.41 It encourages family farming for the future, as it is a far more sustainable practice than factory farming. Family farms pass down knowledge and tradition from generation to generation, so sustainable practices implemented now are established for the future.42 In addition to helping rural economies grow, fam-ily farms preserve biodiversity and use production methods that can help reduce the risks of climate change.43 These farms use seed varieties and livestock breeds that are well adapted to various environments to ensure genetic diversity and also promote agroecological techniques that support the healthy functioning of ecosystems.44 Additionally, family farmers have amassed a wealth of knowledge from centuries of coping

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with natural disasters, which makes their farms more resilient to the consequences of climate change.45 However, despite having some systems that are able to withstand some natural disasters, family farms are still less technologically advanced and are susceptible to irregular weather patterns caused by cli-mate change.46 The reliance that families in developing coun-tries have on livestock farming can be a challenge for reducing global emissions overall, but promoting sustainable practices of climate-resilient food systems and responsible usage of re-sources like land and water is a much more viable option on family farms than factory farms.47

Conclusion

There is an urgent need to act before the environmental ef-fects of livestock farming can no longer be mitigated. Del-egates should acknowledge the importance that the livestock industry has to developing countries and their economies, as it is not an easy task to ease these impacts. To tackle this chal-lenge while strengthening developing countries’ economies, the development of family farms should be supported. More-over, individual dietary choices can have a significant influence on the amount of meat that needs to be produced to feed the world, and guidelines can be set to promote the consumption of meat alternatives. In addition to diet shifts, farming meth-ods can also be modified to benefit the environment, such as precision livestock farming. Thus, action must be taken to encourage sustainable livestock farming and consumption practices while also considering the limitations of specific outcomes.

45 Ibid.46 Tom Connor, “Trade Wars, Climate Change Plunge the Family Farm into Crisis,” Consumer News and Business Channel, 2 November 2019, accessed 11 January 2020, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/02/trade-wars-climate-change-plunge-the-family-farm-into-crisis.html.47 FAO, “Launch of the UN’s Decade of Family Farming to Unleash Family Farmers’ Full Potential.”

UNEA

NHSMUN 2020

Photo Credit: JO1 Gawlowicz

Topic B:Environmental Damage in Post-Conflict Areas

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Introduction

1 “Microbes Offer Hope of Cleaning up Iraq Conflict’s Pollution Legacy,” United Nations Environment Programme, 23 October 2019, accessed 1 December 2019, www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/microbes-offer-hope-cleaning-iraq-conflicts-pollution-legacy; “Sup-porting People in Qayyarah,” Doctors Without Borders, 12 July 2019, accessed 13 January 2020, www.msf.org/supporting-people-qayyarah-iraq.2 Ibid. 3 Tamer El-Ghobashy Tamer and Joby Warrick, “The Islamic State’s Toxic Farewell: Environmental Sabotage and Chronic Disease,” The Washington Post, 5 February 2018, accessed 1 December 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/world/the-islamic-states-toxic-farewell-environ-mental-sabotage-and-chronic-disease/2018/02/04/927ff2b6-05c8-11e8-ae28-e370b74ea9a7_story.html.4 Ibid.5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 “Rooting for the Environment in Times of Conflict and War,” United Nations Environment Programme, 6 November 2019, accessed 1 De-cember 2019, www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/rooting-environment-times-conflict-and-war.8 “Microbes Offer Hope,” United Nations Environment Programme.9 Ibid.

In recent years, world leaders have increasingly acknowledged the importance of the environment in the post-conflict reconstruction processes. The political, economic, and social instability of post-conflict areas continues to hinder the progress of the global community to implement effective, long-term environmental peacebuilding programs. Over the past few months, many post-conflict areas have implemented recent environmental developments. Some of these developments include launching a new waste management project in Iraq and reforestation projects in Afghanistan. In ad-dition, case studies have been released to provide an update on the environmental damage inflicted and the effectiveness of environmental programs that have been implemented in post-conflict re-gions. Delegates should extensively research existing environmental reconstruction programs and case studies to find solutions that effectively address the various environmental challenges that post-conflict countries face.

Waste Management in Iraq

In 2016, during Iraq’s conflict with the Islamic State (IS), militants of the Islamic State detonated 25 oil wells in an at-tempt to defend their land against Iraqi forces. This caused approximately 100,000 people to be internally displaced in neighboring camps and has left an unprecedented and per-manent environmental degradation in the town of Qayyarah.1 Though oil fires were extinguished the following year, oil waste continues to contaminate the streets and rivers of Qa-yyarah.2 Environmental experts are concerned that much of the leftover oil waste has seeped into the groundwater and the Tigris River, both of which serve as a lifeline for millions of Iraqis.3 Groundwater seepage contaminates fields and poses great challenges for the people in these communities to gain access to clean water and food.4 Health experts also fear that the long-term health effects are unknown, yet medical stud-ies have been coming to a halt as post-conflict environmental contamination is considered to be a low priority concern for the Iraqi government.5 Human rights groups active in Qa-

yyarah warned the government that vulnerable populations – the elderly and the children – are most likely to experience the most harm.6 Thus, Iraq’s conflict with the Islamic State has left a toxic legacy that continues to affect the daily lives of people in Qayyarah.

In response to this environmental crisis, in September 2019, the UNEP, in collaboration with the United Nations Assis-tance Mission in Iraq, launched a four-day biological remedia-tion project workshop in Iraq to assist the Ministries of Oil and Environment in their oil spill cleanup process.7 Biological remediation, otherwise known as bioremediation, is a process that alters environmental conditions to stimulate naturally oc-curring microorganisms to break down pollutants in environ-mentally polluted areas.8 However, there still remains the chal-lenge of tailoring this approach to the specific conditions of each oil spill, which is a time-consuming and expensive pro-cess.9 While bioremediation may not be the perfect solution to clearing all oil spills, it remains to be a promising solution

12|Topic B: environmenTAL dAmAge in posT-confLicT AreAsinTroducTion

as it follows a relatively simple process and is cost-effective.10 Thus, this pilot project may encourage Iraq and other post-conflict areas to adopt bioremediation as part of their envi-ronmental reconstruction process. As a result of this training, the Iraqi government began to map other oil-contaminated areas and plan for potential replication of the bioremediation project in other parts of the country.11

Although Iraq’s Civil War ended in 2017, which has enabled the UN to initiate reconstruction efforts, the country still ex-periences very low levels of peace.12 Counter-terrorist opera-tions are on-going and government failure to address political and economic insecurity following the war has fueled mass protests since 1 October 2019.13 Delegates should note that the situation in Iraq is not uncommon and, in fact, is reflec-

10 Ibid.11 “Strengthening the Environmental Management of the Oil and Gas Sector in Fragile and Developing Countries,” United Nations Environ-ment Programme, December 2019, accessed 13 January 2020, www.open.unep.org/project/PIMS-01957.12 “Iraq,” Peace Insight, last modified 5 October 2019, accessed 20 December 2019, www.peaceinsight.org/conflicts/iraq/.13 “The Iraq Protests Explained in 100 and 500 Words,” BBC, 2 December 2019, accessed 20 December 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50595212.

tive of the set of challenges that many post-conflict areas face. When conflict persists in a country, it becomes more and more difficult to implement reconstruction projects in that country. Furthermore, post-conflict areas often lack the complex infrastructure needed to rebuild their post-conflict environment. Thus, delegates should consider the idea that simple, economical projects are feasible and effective solu-tions to post-conflict environmental recovery.

Reforestation Efforts in Afghanistan

In recent years, Afghanistan has taken significant steps to-wards environmental reconstruction. Afghanistan suffered from severe deforestation during years of conflict but has re-cently taken steps in cooperation with the United Nations in

Bioremediation project launched by the UNEP in an Iraqi town called Qayarrah that has suffered massive oil spills during its years of conflict

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an effort to restore its forests and boost the economy of rural communities in a sustainable manner. Islamic State fighters have been in the Kunar province since 2015, and have ex-ploited the forests in the region to generate income for the Is-lamic State.14 It is estimated that an average of 10 hectares of forest are cut down annually and that around 20,000 trees are smuggled to Pakistan each year.15 The provisional government responded to this crisis by banning the sale of wood in 2016, fearing mass-scale deforestation.16 Despite these efforts, how-ever, many government officials have failed to enforce this as it is the ultimate source of income for 60-70% of people liv-ing under the poverty line.17

Ever since, the UNEP has taken an active role in aiding these provisional governments and local populations in recover-ing their forests. In 2018, the UNEP launched a reforesta-tion project in Afghanistan called the Forest Restoration for Enhanced Ecosystem Services in Afghanistan.18 Through this project, Afghan experts, provincial government members, and local populations strengthened research capabilities, increased capacity-building of government officials, raised awareness about the importance of reforestation, and found methods to engage the local population in reforestation efforts.19 The Republic of Korea sponsored this project because Korea has also suffered from deforestation following the events of the Korean War.20

Korea’s forests were severely damaged by the end of the war and as the Korean government prioritized industrial activity over environmental conservation following the war, refores-tation efforts were put on hold.21 However, since the estab-lishment of the Korea Forest Service in 1967, the country has made immense progress and, as a result, has been able to recover forests to pre-war levels.22 Drawing from these suc-14 Stefanie Glinksy, “Afghanistan’s Forests are Turning a Profit for the Islamic State,” Foreign Policy, 15 July 2019, accessed 1 December 2019, www.foreignpolicy.com/2019/07/15/afghanistans-forests-are-turning-a-profit-for-the-islamic-state/.15 Ibid.16 Ibid.17 Ibid. 18 “Drawing Forestry Lessons from Republic of Korea to Enhance Livelihoods in Afghanistan,” United Nations Environment Program, 15 Oc-tober 2019, accessed 1 December 2019, www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/drawing-forestry-lessons-republic-korea-enhance-livelihoods-afghanistan.19 Ibid.20 Ibid.21 Ibid.22 Ibid.23 Ibid.24 Ibid.25 “Reforestation in Afghanistan,” GIZ, 30 November 2019, accessed 1 December 2019, www.giz.de/en/worldwide/75926.html.

cesses, Afghanistan adopted Korea as a model to restore their own forests. Between 30 June and 7 July 2019, the Rustaq Dis-trict Development Assembly participated in a six-day tour to Korea’s Seoul National University to go on site visits and en-gage in discussions with Korean environmental experts.23 Af-ghan participants responded positively to the tour, saying that it was informative and that they have especially learned about the importance of bottom-up policy approaches to empower the role of individuals, especially women, and to engage the entire community to revive their forests.24 Afghanistan’s part-nership with the Republic of Korea shows what role previous post-conflict countries could play in helping the post-conflict countries of today.

Additionally, to aid in Afghanistan’s reforestation efforts, in November 2019, the German Federal Ministry for Econom-ic Cooperation and Development (GIZ) launched a Forest Landscape Restoration Project in Afghanistan, which is to be active between 2019 and 2020, with objectives such as aiding reforestation efforts at a local level, enhancing local resilience to natural disasters, improving institutional framework for the sustainable use of forests, and developing sector-specific measures to train the local population develop their own long-term measures to restore and protect their forests.25 This proj-ect was launched by GIZ, as they determined that Afghanistan is a country with no intact forests and that it was necessary to take a more unified approach to effectively tackle the matter of deforestation which remains one of the greatest challenges to Afghanistan’s post conflict environmental recovery. This project shows how countries that have not experienced an armed conflict can also play an active role in supporting post-conflict countries and facilitate the reconstruction process.

Similar to the situation in Iraq, though Afghanistan’s war with

14|Topic B: environmenTAL dAmAge in posT-confLicT AreAsinTroducTion

the Islamic State in Mosul has ended, the country still faces great challenges in environmental reconstruction efforts. Af-ghanistan has very low levels of peace due to Taliban activity and continuing counter-terrorist operations.26 Furthermore, Afghanistan still remains an impoverished agrarian society in which the rural poor rely on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods.27 As a post-conflict area, Afghanistan must devise cost-effective solutions to generate sufficient food supply for the rural poor and continue efforts to reforest their environ-ment.

Land Use in Colombia

Unlike Iraq and Afghanistan, a full-scale armed conflict has not erupted in Colombia in recent years; thus, case studies have been released to help environmental experts study the way in which the agricultural sector has been shaped in its 26 “Afghanistan,” Peace Insight, last modified 5 October 2019, accessed 20 December 2019, www.peaceinsight.org/conflicts/afghanistan/.27 “Drawing Forestry Lessons,” United Nations Environment Program 28 Sebastian Lema and Johanna Kleffmann, “Linking Climate Change and Peacebuilding in Colombia through Land Access,” Climate Diplomacy, 18 September 2019, accessed 1 December 2019, www.climate-diplomacy.org/news/linking-climate-change-and-peacebuilding-colombia-through-land-access.29 Ibid. 30 Ibid.

post-conflict era. Recent studies have shown that following decades of conflict, Colombia developed into a country that has one of the most unequal land distribution rates in the world; in Colombia, 14% of land owners hold approximately 80% of the total land.28 This not only fuels economic dispar-ity, but also serves to exacerbate deforestation and contribute to climate change.29 Thus, environmental experts encourage the Colombian government to fully implement a rural reform, as outlined by the peace agreement signed between the gov-ernment and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which includes measures such as the formalization of land ownership, the establishment of the Land Fund, and the introduction of tax to promote efficient land use.30 As a result of these policies, approximately 15% of the country’s land area has been protected under the Colombian law and these reforms enabled local producers and representatives as

Following Colombia’s long years of conflict, its land has been overexploited for the purpose of economic activity

|15Topic B: environmenTAL dAmAge in posT-confLicT AreAsinTroducTion

well as the local government and environmental authorities to become more involved in the process of developing land-use plans in the post-conflict environment.31 Therefore, the further application of nature conservation measures such as these will continue to promote sustainable development in be-coming a central pillar in Colombia’s post-conflict reconstruc-tion process.

In another study released in 2019, environmental researchers looked at how socioeconomic factors have impacted the way in which land is used in Colombia.32 Through their research, the team concluded that there is a correlation between land use and armed conflict.33 They also found the importance of tailoring environmental policies to the local level, as economic conditions and conflict impacts regions differently.34 As a re-sult, the researchers made a call for action and reinforced the need for environmental governance, which is often neglected in the process of reconstruction.35

Unlike the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, Colombia expe-rienced relative peace following its long years of war. Thus, delegates are encouraged to use Colombia’s post-conflict en-vironment as a model to learn about the unique sets of chal-lenges that post-conflict countries will come to face as their conflict terminates. Delegates could also evaluate the effec-tiveness of certain post-conflict recovery projects that have already been implemented in Colombia to see if it should or should not be replicated in other post-conflict countries.

Conclusion

Delegates must keep in mind that peace is often impermanent in many post-conflict regions and should be aware of how this may factor into the debate surrounding environmental re-construction in post-conflict areas. Every state has different levels of peace. Though Colombia has been relatively stable and conflict-free in recent years, Afghanistan and Iraq still face very low levels of peace with the constant threat of conflict.

31 “Protecting Natural Resources in the Former Conflict Regions of Colombia,” GIZ, 2018, accessed 13 January 2020, www.giz.de/en/worldwide/70663.html. 32 Kate Wheeling, “How Conflict Influenced Land Use in Colombia,” Earth & Space Science News, 20 November 2019, accessed 1 December 2019, www.eos.org/articles/how-conflict-influenced-land-use-in-colombia.33 Garcia Corrales et al., “Land-Use and Socioeconomic Changes Related to Armed Conflicts: A Colombian Regional Case Study,” Environ-mental Science & Policy 97 (July 2019): 116–24, accessed 1 December 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.04.012.34 Kate Wheeling, “How Conflict Influenced Land Use.” 35 Ibid.

Furthermore, delegates should acknowledge how political instability and poor economies in post-conflict regions may hinder global efforts to implement sustainable peacebuilding programs.

16|uneAWorks ciTed

Works Cited

Topic A

UN Sources

Andersen, Inger. “Curbing Negative Environmental Impacts of War and Armed Conflict.” United Nations Environment Programme. 5 November 2019. Accessed 1 December 2019. www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/statement/curbing-nega-tive-environmental-impacts-war-and-armed-conflict

This source contains a message from the Executive Director on the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.

“Drawing Forestry Lessons from Republic of Korea to Enhance Livelihoods in Afghanistan.” United Nations Environment Pro-gram. 15 October 2019. Accessed 1 December 2019. www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/drawing-forest-ry-lessons-republic-korea-enhance-livelihoods-afghanistan.

This article looks at a partnership between Korea and Afghanistan which was forged to promote reforestation efforts in Afghanistan.

“Microbes Offer Hope of Cleaning up Iraq Conflict’s Pollution Legacy.” United Nations Environment Programme, 23 October 2019. Accessed 1 December 2019. www.unenvironment.org/news- and-stories/story/microbes-offer-hope-cleaning-iraq-conflicts-pollution-legacy.

This article explains what the biological remediation pilot project in Iraq is about and what it is trying to achieve.

“Rooting for the Environment in Times of Conflict and War.” United Nations Environment Programme. 6 November 2019. Accessed 1 December 2019. www.unenvironment.org/news-and- stories/story/rooting-environment-times-conflict-and-war.

This article outlines the environmental costs of conflicts and discusses the UNEP’s efforts taken in order to address this.

“Strengthening the Environmental Management of the Oil and Gas Sector in Fragile and Developing Countries.” United Nations Environment Programme. December 2019. Accessed 13 January 2020. www.open.unep.org/project/PIMS-01957.

This source provides a progress update on the oil clean-up projects led by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Non-UN Sources

“Afghanistan.” Peace Insight. Last modified 5 October 2019. Accessed 20 December 2019. www.peaceinsight.org/conflicts/af-ghanistan/.

This source reports on the level of peace in Afghanistan.

El-Ghobashy, Tamer, and Joby Warrick. “The Islamic State’s Toxic Farewell: Environmental Sabotage and Chronic Disease.” The Washington Post. 5 February 2018. Accessed 1 December 2019. www.washingtonpost.com/world/the-islamic-states-toxic-farewell-environmental-sab- otage-and-chronic-disease/2018/02/04/927ff2b6-05c8-11e8-ae28-e370b74ea9a7_story.html.

This article outlines the environmental damage caused by Islamic State militants in Iraq.

|17uneAWorks ciTed

Garcia Corrales, Lina Maria, Humberto Avila, and Ronald R. Gutierrez. “Land-Use and Socioeconomic Changes Related to

Armed Conflicts: A Colombian Regional Case Study.” Environmental Science & Policy 97 (July 2019): 116–24. Accessed 1

December 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.04.012.

This source contains a study about the way in which conflict has shaped land use in Colombia following years of conflict.

Glinski, Stefanie. “Afghanistan’s Forests are Turning a Profit for the Islamic State.” Foreign Policy. 15 July 2019. Accessed 1 De-

cember 2019. www.foreignpolicy.com/2019/07/15/afghanistans- forests-are-turning-a-profit-for-the-islamic-state/.

This article describes how the Islamic State is illegally destroying forests in Afghanistan for profit.

“Iraq.” Peace Insight. Last modified 5 October 2019. Accessed 20 December 2019. https://www.peacei- nsight.org/conflicts/

iraq/.

This source reports on the level of peace in Iraq.

Lema, Sebastian, and Johanna Kleffmann. “Linking Climate Change and Peacebuilding in Colombia through Land Access.”

Climate Diplomacy. 18 September 2019. Accessed 1 December 2019. www.climate-diplomacy.org/news/linking-climate-

change-and-peacebuilding-colombia-through-land-access.

This article highlights the importance of developing policies to encourage sustainable land use in promoting peacebuilding in Colombia.

“Reforestation in Afghanistan.” GIZ. 30 November 2019. Accessed 1 December 2019. www.giz.de/en/worldwide/75926.html.

This source provides a project description commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) that will serve to help Afghanistan restore its forests between 2019 and 2020.

“Protecting Natural Resources in the Former Conflict Regions of Colombia.” GIZ. 2018. Accessed 13 January 2020. www.giz.

de/en/worldwide/70663.html.

This source provides a project description commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) that will serve to help push for greater measures to protect Colombia’s natural resources during its post-conflict era.

“Supporting People in Qayyarah.” Doctors Without Borders. 12 July 2019. Accessed 13 January 2020. www.msf.org/supporting-

people-qayyarah-iraq.

This source provides a status update on the Iraqi town of Qayyarah following an armed conflict that has taken place in 2016. It also gives an overview on how the Doctors Without Borders organization has been giving medical support to the people affected by the conflict.

“The Iraq Protests Explained in 100 and 500 Words.” BBC. 2 December 2019. Accessed 20 December 2019. www.bbc.com/

news/world-middle-east-50595212.

This article provides a brief overview on the Iraq protests that have been going on since October 2019.

Wheeling, Kate. “How Conflict Influenced Land Use in Colombia.” Earth & Space Science News. 20 November 2019. Accessed 1

December 2019. www.eos.org/articles/how-conflict-influenced -land-use-in-colombia.

This article introduces a study in which researchers looked at the way in which conflict has shaped land use in Colombia.

18|uneAWorks ciTed

Topic B

UN Sources

“Food-based Dietary Guidelines - China.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Last modified January 2020. http://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/china/en/.

Explains the goals, messages, processes, and audience of the 2016 Chinese food-based dietary guidelines.

“Launch of the UN’s Decade of Family Farming to Unleash Family Farmers’ Full Potential.” FAO, 29 May 2019. Accessed 17 December 2019. http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1195811/icode/.

Explains the United Nations’ Decade of Family Farming and Global Action Plan and the benefits of family farms.

“Livestock and the Environment.” FAO. Accessed 14 December 2019. http://www.fao.org/livestock-environment/en/.Demonstrates the FAO’s role in the relationship between livestock and the environment.

“United Nations Decade of Family Farming.” FAO. Last modified 2019. http://www.fao.org/family-farming-decade/home/en/.

Explains the United Nations’ Decade of Family Farming and Global Action Plan and their benefits toward family farms.

Non-UN Sources

Banhazi, Thomas M., Heiner Lehr, J.L. Black, H. Crabtree, Charles Patrick Schofield, M. Tscharke, Daniel Berckmans. “Precision Livestock Farming: An International Review of Scientific and Commercial Aspects.” International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering 5, No. 3 (September 2012): 6. Accessed 14 December 2019. https://www.researchgate.net/pub-lication/236886712_Precision_Livestock_Farming_An_international_review_of_scientific_and_commercial_aspects.

Analyzes the commercial and scientific aspects of precision livestock farming and its applications.

Benjamin, Madonna. “Precision Livestock Farming Technology for Remote Monitoring of Pig Welfare and Health: Part 1.” Michigan State University. Last modified 11 September 2019. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/precision-livestock-farm-ing-technology-for-remote-monitoring-of-pig-welfare-and-health.

Discusses recent applications of precision livestock farming technologies with pigs in the United States.

Berckmans, Daniel. “General Introduction to Precision Livestock Farming.” Animal Frontiers 7, No. 1 (January 2017): 6-10. Ac-cessed 14 December 2019. https://doi.org/10.2527/af.2017.0102.

Explains precision livestock farming technologies and its benefits to animals and the environment.

Chen, Hongzhang. “Lignocellulose Biorefinery Process Engineering.” Lignocellulose Biorefinery Engineering 1, No. 1 (March 2015): 167. Accessed 30 December 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100135-6.00006-5.

Discusses the principles of process engineering and its scientific applications.

Connor, Tom. “Trade Wars, Climate Change Plunge the Family Farm into Crisis.” Consumer News and Business Channel, 2 No-vember 2019. Accessed 11 January 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/02/trade-wars-climate-change-plunge-the-

|19uneAWorks ciTed

family-farm-into-crisis.html.Explores the impacts of climate change on family farms and methods to overcome these negative effects.

“Current World Population.” Worldometers. Last modified 30 December 2019. https://www.worldometers.info/world-popula-tion/.

Tracks the current population of the world and other global population figures.

“Eat to Beat Climate Change.” Vegetarian Society. Accessed 15 December 2019. https://www.vegsoc.org/info-hub/why-go-veg-gie/environment/.

Explains the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle for the environment.

Friend, Tad. “Can a Burger Help Solve Climate Change?” The New Yorker, 30 September 2019. Accessed 8 January 2020. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/30/can-a-burger-help-solve-climate-change.

Studies how reducing meat consumption can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and focuses on plant-based meat alternatives.

Gross, Anna Sophie. “As Brazilian Agribusiness Booms, Family Farms Feed the Nation.” Mongabay, 17 January 2019. Accessed 17 December 2019. https://news.mongabay.com/2019/01/as-brazilian-agribusiness-booms-family-farms-feed-the-nation/.

Explores the family farming sector of Brazil and how it is affected by industrial agriculture companies.

Halachmi, Ilan. Precision Livestock Farming Applications. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Pub, 2015.Explains how precision livestock farming is developed and its benefits to farm management.

Horseman, Chris. “No Meat Today: The Rise of Vegetarianism and Veganism.” IEG Policy Agribusiness, 1 October 2019. Ac-cessed 15 December 2019. https://iegpolicy.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/PL221686/No-meat-today-The-rise-of-vegetarianism-and-veganism.

Analyzes the rise of vegetarianism and veganism and its implications on the planet and society.

Kaplan, Sarah. “Are my Hamburgers Hurting the Planet?.” The Washington Post, 18 November 2019. Accessed 15 December 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2019/11/18/are-my-hamburgers-hurting-planet/?arc404=true.

Explains how eating meat affects the environment; as well as alternatives to meat like plant or cellular-based meats and vegetarianism.

Muirhead, Sarah. “Precision Livestock Farming Requires Structural/Culture Shifts.” Feedstuffs, 10 March 2019. Accessed 14 De-cember 2019. https://www.feedstuffs.com/news/precision-livestock-farming-requires-structuralculture-shifts.

Describes the structural and cultural limitations on the implementation of precision livestock farming.

Newburger, Emma and Lucas, Amelia. “Beyond Meat Uses Climate Change to Market Fake Meat Substitutes. Scientists are Cautious.” Consumer News and Business Channel, 2 September 2019. Accessed 4 January 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/02/beyond-meat-uses-climate-change-to-market-fake-meat-substitutes-scientists-are-cautious.html.

Describes the environmental implications, both negative and positive, of plant-based meat alternatives.

20|uneAWorks ciTed

Piotti, John. “New Census of Agriculture Shows Decline in Number of America’s Farms, Farmers, and Farmland.” American Farmland Trust, 20 April 2019. Accessed 30 December 2019. https://farmland.org/new-census-of-agriculture-shows-decline-in-number-of-americas-farms-farmers-and-farmland/.

Discusses the findings of the 2017 United States Census of Agriculture and their implications.

Planting, Sasha. “Food Disruption: Our Time of Eating Meat Could be Drawing to a Close.” Business Maverick, 26 November 2019. Accessed 15 December 2019. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-11-26-food-disruption-our-time-of-eating-meat-could-be-drawing-to-a-close/.

Reports on the rise of plant and cell-based proteins as alternatives to meat.

Quintana, Conchi. “Family Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth.” Association of Science and Technology Centers, 17 April 2014. Accessed 4 January 2020. https://www.astc.org/astc-dimensions/family-farming-feeding-the-world-caring-for-the-earth/.

Explains the benefits of family farming on the global agriculture sector, economy, and environment.

Rey, Debora. “Vegetarians Gaining Ground in Carnivorous Argentina,” AP News, 4 September 2019. Accessed 15 December 2019. https://apnews.com/aa08feea3dd9487480817f67dadd0f5e.

Explores the rise of vegetarianism in the predominantly non-vegetarian population of Argentina.

Tullo, Emanuela, Alberto Finzi, Marcella Guarino. “Review: Environmental Impact of Livestock Farming and Precision Live-stock Farming as a Mitigation Strategy.” Science of the Total Environment 650, No. 2 (February 2019): 2751. Accessed 14 December 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.018.

Describes the environmental impact of livestock production and proposes precision livestock farming as a mitigation strategy for these effects.

Wellesley, Laura. “We Need to Eat Less Meat. Should the Government Step in?” The Washington Post, 20 July 2016. Accessed 4 January 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/07/20/we-need-to-eat-less-meat-should-the-government-step-in/.

Discusses potential governmental action that can be taken to reduce worldwide meat consumption.

Wilson, Josh. “Eating Some Meat is Better for the Environment than Going Vegetarian, New Study Finds.” The Telegraph, 17 September 2019. Accessed 15 December 2019. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/eating-meat-better-environment-going-vegetarian-finds-new-study/.

Explores the “flexitarian” choice of incorporating some meat in a diet rather than full vegetarianism.

Zia, Mustafa, James Hansen, Kim Hjort, Constanza Valdes. “Brazil Once Again Becomes the World’s Largest Beef Exporter.” United States Department of Agriculture, 1 July 2019. Accessed 17 December 2019. https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2019/july/brazil-once-again-becomes-the-world-s-largest-beef-exporter/.

Reports that Brazil is the largest exporter of beef in the world and provides statistics on the country’s production of meat.

The National High School Model United Nations Con-ference (NHSMUN) is a project of IMUNA, a non-profit organization formally associated with the Unit-ed Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC). IMUNA is dedicated to promoting global issues education through simulation.

Written by Kruttika Gopal and Subin Moon

Edited by Jill Bendlak, Alex Burr, Walker Heintz, Jonathan Packer,

and Althea Turley

© 2020 IMUNA. All Rights Reserved.