2 April 2012
FAO Examines Action on Climate Change in Agriculture
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The FAO has produced a report titled "Action on Climate Change in Agriculture: Linkages to Food Security, Markets, and Trade Policies in Developing Countries," which calls for greater consideration of agriculture under the UNFCCC framework and efforts to ensure that environmental integrity is not undermined in international trade rules.

FAOMarch 2012: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has produced a report aimed at catalyzing thinking on how the agricultural sector can be fully integrated into national strategies on climate change and into the UNFCCC framework.

The paper, titled “Action on Climate Change in Agriculture: Linkages to Food Security, Markets, and Trade Policies in Developing Countries,” provides overviews of: climate change and agriculture; agricultural mitigation and adaptation; a role for agriculture under the UNFCCC framework; agriculture and climate change under international trade rules; the funding shortfall; and recommendations for steps forward.

Noting the different challenges posed by mitigation and adaptation, the paper proposes focusing mitigation efforts on: a greater reliance on renewable energy; the reduction in use of fertilizers and chemicals; and organic agriculture and conservation agriculture.

On adaptation, the paper stresses that much adaptation occurs autonomously at the local level as farmers adjust their planting schedules. On world trade, the paper highlights the challenge of adjusting world trade rules to incorporate and consider environmental measures. It underscores that financing remains a major challenge and stresses the need to coordinate over-arching, programmatic strategic approaches to help address climate change and development challenges concurrently. [Publication: Action on Climate Change in Agriculture: Linkages to Food Security, Markets, and Trade Policies in Developing Countries]

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