Agriculture 'must not be squeezed' by the impact of climate change

In high-level meeting with EU Commission, Copa and Cogeca underline need to ensure that all provisions in global climate deal are respected so that climate change and food security tackled in balanced way.

In a high-level meeting with the EU Commission this week, Copa and Cogeca underlined the need to ensure that all provisions in the global climate deal made in Paris are respected so that climate change and food security are tackled in a balanced way.

Copa President Martin Merrild stressed: “We welcome the legally binding global climate deal made in Paris and we are committed to making it work to help combat climate change. But this must be done in a balanced way without jeopardizing food production. Global food demand is set to rise in the future and we need the capacity to feed a growing population and help solve hunger and malnutrition”.

Outlining key measures, he said: “In the upcoming legislation on climate change, there needs to be flexibility between the sectors included in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and nonEmissions Trading Scheme (non-ETS). Agriculture must not be squeezed by the impact of climate change and the potentially negative impact that EU climate change policy could have on it”.

Cogeca President Thomas Magnusson underlined: “Agriculture and forestry make a big contribution to fighting climate cangethrough for instance the storage of carbon in soil organic matter and in renewable energy sources. The most efficient way for farmers to adapt to climate change is to help minimize the global temperature increase and prevent it from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

“But whilst mitigation and prevent efforts can be limited, farmers always have to adapt in order to stay afloat. Water management (storage, drainage, irrigation) for example are crucial for climate change adaptation and mitigation”.