COPA and Cogeca: Agriculture can play role in fighting climate change

COPA and Cogeca stressed yesterday that agriculture can play a vital role in tackling climate change, but sufficient funds must be made available to help it do so.

The umbrella bodies for European farmers and agri co-ops outlined their concerns at the projected impact of climate change on farming over the next 50 years at an informal meeting of EU farm ministers in Vaxjo, Sweden.

COPA president Padraig Walshe said these projected changes will adversely affect crop yields, livestock management and location of production, threaten farm incomes and cause land abandonment in some parts of Europe. Mr Walshe, the Irish Farmers Association leader, outlined some ideas as to how agriculture can both adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.

“For example, if we can introduce new crops more resilient to water scarcity or wet conditions, we will, at the same time, contribute to reducing green house gas emissions through the more efficient use of energy intensive inputs such as fertilisers.”

Mr Walshe said European agriculture can also provide alternatives to fossil fuels and oil-derived products.

It can sequester carbon in soils and biomass and can enhance the resilience of the ecosystem.

He also warned without the right policies in place, climate change is likely to lead to lower yields and thus lower production and employment as well as much greater volatility in food supplies and prices.

“This will be particularly catastrophic at a time when Europe needs to increase production significantly in order to meet growing world food demand,” he said.

Mr Walshe urged EU politicians to ensure that there is a strong Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the future, which provides the right tools and incentives to ensure that farmers can play their role in addressing this challenge.

“Farmers have already suffered enough with the recent crises in the EU cereals, dairy and pigmeat sectors and they do not have sufficient income to sustain investments in this at the moment.

“Farmers must have sufficient funds in order to enable them to invest to meet the challenge of climate change,” he said.