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World Bank report encourages sustainable agriculture, not an end to farming | Fact check

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The claim: The World Bank has called for the abolishment of farming

A May 21 article in The People’s Voice claims Western nations signed a transformative treaty with the World Bank.

“World Bank Signs Treaty With Western Nations To Completely Abolish Farming,” reads the article’s headline.

The article states, “The World Bank has issued a notice to western nations that they must completely abolish farming in order to achieve ‘net zero emissions’ by the year 2030. The plan involves closing down the world’s farms and placing them all under the control of a handful of WEF Young Global Leaders, such as Bill Gates, who will then ‘radically alter the way food is grown.'”

Similar claims were also shared on Facebook.

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Our rating: False

The claim misrepresents a World Bank report that calls for increased investment in sustainable agricultural practices. It is not a treaty, nor does it call for the end of farming. The article comes from a website that regularly publishes false information.

Serial misinformation spreader misrepresents report

The article focuses on a World Bank report titled “Recipe for a Livable Planet: Achieving Net Zero Emissions in the Agrifood System,” which calls for greener and more sustainable agriculture practices. It holds there are “affordable and readily available measures that can cut nearly a third of the world’s planet heating emissions while ensuring global food security.”

The document, however, is just a report. It is not a treaty, and it does not call for the abolishment of farming or for the World Economic Forum to essentially take over global agriculture.

The World Bank posted three versions of the report to its website, and none of them are structured as a treaty or a “directive,” as other posts circulating online call it. The only references to the WEF in the reports are citations of papers or statistics sourced from the organization.

In an announcement of the report’s release, the World Bank presented the document as offering suggestions for meeting emission reduction targets, not a directive that must be followed.   

“Recipe for a Livable Planet: Achieving Net Zero Emissions in the Agrifood System outlines actions that every country can take,” reads the release, in part. “These will make food supplies more secure, help the food system better withstand climate change, and protect vulnerable people during this transition.”

The WEF did not respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY, and the World Bank declined to comment.

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The People’s Voice, previously known as NewsPunch, has repeatedly published fabricated stories, many of which USA TODAY has debunked.

The People’s Voice article also cites an article on Natural News, a website that has previously been banned from Meta’s platforms for sharing misinformation and false conspiracy theories.

USA TODAY reached out to The People’s Voice and Natural News for comment but did not immediately receive responses.

Reuters also debunked the claim.

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