Farming and food companies could be at a $150 billion (£132bn) loss by 2030 without adaptation to policies and opinions around climate change.

That’s according to a new report by the UN’s Race to Zero campaign.

The report analyses the impact of governmental carbon prices and consumers’ decision to reduce meat consumption on the profit margins of farming businesses – and has found that by the end of the decade, these could drop by a quarter.

Without adoption of new techniques to farming that align with both policy and consumer trends, these firms would see huge losses for investors, the report states.

Deforestation linked with cattle, palm oil and soy are key areas of avoidance flagged by the study – to ensure profit margins remain high and brand reputations are upheld.

A statement from the Race to Zero read: “The reality is stark. Nature risk is fast becoming an integral factor to investment risk.”