'Emissions targets must not come at the expense of global food security'

Speakers warned the concept of productivity “often gets lost” in conversations around agriculture and climate change.

Robert Bonnie, undersecretary at the US Department of Agriculture speaking at the ASA conference. Picture: Dylan Vaughan Photography

International speakers at this year’s Agricultural Science Association (ASA) conference warned that overlooking food security while chasing climate emission targets could lead to global food shortages.

It comes as many of the world’s food export powerhouses have talked about capping national cattle numbers to meet challenging greenhouse gas emission targets set for the next three decades.