Climate change hits farming practices
Sunday, 6 December 2009
ROME, Dec 5 (Commodity Online): A document from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FMA) says that climate change has badly hit agriculture. It said farming practices that capture carbon and store it in agricultural soils offer some of the most promising options for early and cost-effective action on climate change in developing countries, while contributing to food security.
In a policy brief prepared for the Copenhagen summit, FAO said that agriculture has been largely excluded from the main climate financing mechanisms under discussion in Denmark.
Agriculture not only suffers the impacts of climate change, it is also responsible for 14 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. But agriculture has the potential to be an important part of the solution, through mitigation-reducing and/or removing a significant amount of global emissions. Some 70 per cent of its potential for reducing emissions could be realized in developing countries, FAO said.
"We hope the UN summit in Copenhagen will send a clear signal that agriculture in developing countries should play a vital role in responding to this global challenge," said Alexander Müller, FAO Assistant Director-General. "There are strong synergies between climate change mitigation, adaptation and food security that will be captured, if we do this right."
In a policy brief prepared for the Copenhagen summit, FAO said that agriculture has been largely excluded from the main climate financing mechanisms under discussion in Denmark.
Agriculture not only suffers the impacts of climate change, it is also responsible for 14 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. But agriculture has the potential to be an important part of the solution, through mitigation-reducing and/or removing a significant amount of global emissions. Some 70 per cent of its potential for reducing emissions could be realized in developing countries, FAO said.
"We hope the UN summit in Copenhagen will send a clear signal that agriculture in developing countries should play a vital role in responding to this global challenge," said Alexander Müller, FAO Assistant Director-General. "There are strong synergies between climate change mitigation, adaptation and food security that will be captured, if we do this right."