Agriculture will be greatly impacted by climate change and will require substantial adaptation efforts. At the same time, the agricultural sector is responsible for a signifi cant amount of global greenhouse gas emissions, and has an important potential role in climate change mitigation. While its importance is recognized, agriculture has not figured largely in the international climate change negotiations to date. It is, however, expected to figure more prominently, as witnessed by the first ever workshop on agriculture recently held as part of the negotiations in Bonn.