Agriculture is where climate change, food security, and development intersect!
Agriculture and Rural Development Day 2010, held in parallel to COP16, will bring agriculture sector adaptation and mitigation strategies to the forefront of the global climate treaty negotiations. It will demonstrate clearly that agriculture is where climate change, food security, and development intersect. It informs the climate change negotiations and advocates for a COP decision on a “work program for agriculture” — and at the same time looking beyond the negotiations.
Agriculture and Rural Development Day 2010 will show how agricultural development can contribute to low emission futures, while adapting to climate change and enhancing supporting sustainable food security. The ensuing messages together with those of Forest Day 4 will be presented jointly at an official COP side event.
Last year’s Agriculture and Rural Development Day had increased the focus on the link between agriculture, food security and climate change, as well as forestry. This year we will build on that success by identifying policies and practical solutions to reduce agriculture-related greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen global food security and rural development.
The one-day event will feature keynote speeches, roundtable discussions, a marketplace of ideas and exhibits.
Planned 2010 themes
- Agricultural intensification as an REDD strategy
- Agricultural mitigation and carbon sequestration
- Adaptation for food security and development outcomes
- Capturing carbon finance, including through forestry, for agricultural development
- What scientific, technological, and methodological aspects need to be considered under a UNFCCC work programme on agriculture?
Looking back to ARDD 2009
ARDD was held for the first time during last year’s UNFCCC COP15 in Copenhagen — attended by 300 policymakers and negotiators, rural development practitioners, agricultural producers, civil society and the agricultural and climate change scientific community. Speakers included the US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the Chair of CGIAR and Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank Katherine Sierra, IFAD President Kanayo Nwanze and Ajay Vashee, the President of IFAP.
Last we wanted to build consensus on ways to incorporate agriculture into the post-Copenhagen agenda and discuss strategies and actions needed to address climate change adaptation and mitigation in the agriculture sector. Messages from ARDD 2009 and Forest Day 3 were presented to negotiators during a joint side event at the COP.
