Farmers Can Slash Global Emissions Today

What's the Story?

"Innovations in food production and land use that are ready to be scaled-up today could reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to roughly 25 percent of global fossil fuel emissions and present the best opportunity to remove greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere," says the environmental think tank Worldwatch Institute.

Five agricultural carbon sequestration methods -- which use primarily plants and soil to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere -- could play a significant role in bringing green house gas emissions to the level that many scientists agree is necessary to avoid disastrous climate change, specifies the report, co-authored by Worldwatch and Ecoagriculture Partners.

"The bottom line is that innovations in agriculture provide the best opportunity to remove carbon from the atmosphere," notes Worldwatch president Christopher Flavin.

The suggested strategies are enhancing carbon storage in soil, farming with perennial plants, raising livestock in a more climate-friendly manner, protecting natural habitats, and restoring degraded watersheds and rangelands. (See the full article from the Worldwatch Institute below.)

Copenhagen: A Window of Opportunity

Agriculture must be on the agenda of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations in Copenhagen this December because global warming has a significant impact on food production, agriculture can help mitigate climate change, and poor farmers will need help adapting to changing temperatures, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

The international community is looking to the upcoming climate talks to forge a global agreement that will stave off the most catastrophic effects of climate change and support countries in their efforts to adapt to the consequences that can no longer be averted.

"We are at the point where the negotiations are going to put in place new mechanisms for the next five to 15 years and it's critical that agriculture be included this time around," said Gerald Nelson, senior research fellow at IFPRI.

Climate Change and Agriculture Go Hand-in-Hand

Agriculture and climate change have the potential to significantly impact each other, in both a positive and negative way.

A report released in 2000 by Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment found that extreme weather events have "caused severe crop damage and have exacted a significant economic toll for U.S. farmers over the past 20 years." Climate conditions also determine how much food can be produced and how many animals can be raised.

On the other hand, nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land use come from cattle and other livestock. Additionally, agricultural production often diminishes land, plants, and soil's natural ability to soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Moving towards sound land use and agricultural practices could notably reduce greenhouse gases.

In particular, family farmers can play a critical role in achieving sustainable development, said Ajay Vashee, president of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, at a United Nations (UN) meeting earlier this year.

"Public policy makers worldwide must shift their thinking to recognize agriculture and farmers' organizations as an engine for economic growth and harness the full potential of agriculture to reduce poverty and hunger and revitalize rural areas, while maintaining sustainable rural landscapes through the ecosystem services that farmers provide," he specified.

Take Action

To help people around the world get involved in climate protection efforts, OneWorld has launched the OneClimate.net Web site, a new social networking space for sharing ideas and experiences on climate change.