Biotech Updates

Climate Change Mitigation and Agriculture

June 5, 2009

"If agriculture in developing countries becomes more sustainable, if it increases its productivity and becomes more resilient against the impact of climate change, this should help to reduce the number of currently around one billion hungry people and offer better income and job opportunities," said Alexander Mueller, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Assistant Director-General.

Mueller sets the tone for the on-going negotiations on climate change in Bonn, Germany. This will be followed by a meeting in Copenhagen in December where a new global climate agreement will be adopted. FAO has three proposals for Copenhagen: nationally appropriate mitigation action; financing for agricultural mitigation; and a comprehensive approach to land uses.

See FAO's press release at http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/20243/icode/

For a report on agriculture and climate change prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute read http://www.ifpri.org/2020/focus/focus16.asp