Agriculture in the Face of Climate Change

Agriculture is a double edged sword when it comes to climate change. About 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the livestock sector, and 18 percent of carbon dioxide emissions results from clearing forested areas for agriculture. Aside from these, rice production is perhaps the main source of anthropogenic methane. And yet, adverse and extreme weather conditions can jeopardize rice crop production, which feeds more than half the world’s population. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), introducing improved livestock management and crop practices, coupled with adaptive management of forests, could have a very significant impact on climate change. Adopting land use practices such as conservation agriculture would help to maintain significant amounts of carbon in the soil.

But these are not enough to ensure global food security in the future. While continuing to deal with the causes of climate change -- by reducing emissions and increasing greenhouse gas sinks -- it is crucial to also take immediate action to cope with its effects, said Alexander Müller, FAO Assistant Director General. Ways must be found to build up peoples’ resilience as well as that of food production systems, he added.

Read the complete article at http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000654/index.html.