Not only does agriculture, especially in many developing countries, suffer the impacts of climate change, but it is also responsible for 14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, agriculture could potentially be an important part of the solution, as well as contribute heavily to food security, according to a FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) policy brief prepared for the Copenhagen summit.

Climate change has a huge impact on agricultural production, not least because of changes in temperature and in rainfall, and the poorest parts of the world are likely to be the most heavily affected. At the same time, agriculture is also part of the problem, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most interesting options for the future could be farming practices that capture carbon and store it in agricultural soils. It is a cost-effective action on climate change that, according to FAO, could be very useful for many developing countries.

FAO also states that despite the important part that agriculture plays in climate change issues, it has to a large extent been excluded from the main climate financing mechanisms under discussion in Copenhagen. Alexander Müller, FAO Assistant Director-General, argued that: “There are strong synergies between climate change mitigation, adaption and food security that will be captured, if we do this right”. Thus, improving farming practices in order to mitigate climate change can also lead to increased productivity and food security.

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Source: FAO.

Written by Fanny Johansson