Government representatives from around the world--including President Obama--will gather in Copenhagen for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to talk about how to address climate change. The focus will be on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deal with the effects of climate change. Earlier this year, agriculture became a larger part of the global climate talks.
"We cannot truly address climate change without getting it right on agriculture," Jim Harkness, IATP's president, said in a press release. "Agriculture is a contributor to climate change, but just as importantly it profoundly affects land use around the world and has the potential to be part of the solution. Smart climate policy for agriculture can help address hunger, support rural livelihoods, improve water quality and biodiversity, and strengthen our energy security."
As a lead up to the meeting in Copenhagen, IATP has published this series of issue briefs covering different aspects of agriculture, climate and public policy.
Press Release: Climate Agreement Must Support Shift Toward Sustainable Agriculture. Introduces our new Climate and Agriculture Series.
Climate and Agriculture: A Just Response. Edited by Ben Lilliston. Executive Summary. Agriculture's multifunctional role in the world makes it critically important in climate policy. This brief summarizes the combined call of the papers in this series for an integrated framework for climate policy that emphasizes the unique role of agriculture.
Agriculture and Climate-The Critical Connection. By Jim Kleinschmit. Provides an overview of the science of agriculture and climate change and how agriculture can be a major contributor to climate solutions and environmental protection.
Putting Agriculture on the Global Climate Agenda. By Anne Laure Constantin. Sets benchmarks for including agriculture within global climate negotiations.
U.S. Climate Policy and Agriculture. By Julia Olmstead. Reviews how agriculture is considered in U.S. legislation and makes recommendations for a better approach in the context of climate change.
Speculating on Carbon: The Next Toxic Asset. By Dr. Steve Suppan. Analyzes how Wall Street speculators could influence agriculture and climate goals through derivatives and carbon markets.
Eye of the Storm: Integrated Solutions to the Climate, Agriculture and Water Crisis. By Shiney Varghese. Explains water's role in the climate and agriculture crisis and the need for better water management because water resources have an impact on all aspects of society and the economy.
Climate Inequity. By Shalini Gupta and Cecilia Martinez. Traces the historical inequities that have contributed to climate change and proposes a more equitable climate policy.
IATP will be sending a big team to Copenhagen where they will be blogging, videotaping and tweeting about these issues.
