Agriculture and Climate Change

The agricultural sector has been ignored from ongoing post-Kyoto negotiations, despite the importance of agriculture as a contributor of emissions, a provider of solutions and a victim of a changing climate. The fertilizer industry, along with other members of civil society, calls on governments to include agriculture in the post-Kyoto negotiations that will take place in December in Copenhagen.

Together, agriculture (14%), land-use change and forestry (19%) represent over 30% of total global emissions of green house gas (GHG). Agriculture is an important contributor to climate change. However, as opposed to other economic sectors, most of agriculture’s GHG emissions are directly linked to natural biological cycles. In addition, the single largest source of emissions is land conversion, bringing pasture, forests or unused land into arable production.

Agriculture is also the most strategic sector in the context of climate change because food production cannot be stopped or reduced. Farmers worldwide actually face the challenge of having to double or triple their production by 2050 to provide enough food for the expected population of 9 billion people.

The agricultural sector is also one of the most affected by the impacts of a changing climate, threatening food supplies but also the livelihoods of a third of the world’s population and the overall economic development of most developing countries.
The critical goals of protecting food security, reducing poverty and fighting climate change must thus coexist.

• Agriculture and farmers are part of the solution to climate change
• Increased productivity prevents deforestation, the main source of emissions
• Sustainable agricultural practices reduce carbon emissions and protect vital carbon sinks
• Research and innovation can help provide solutions for adaptation and mitigation