At COP27, IICA presents Achievements of agriculture in the Americas in combating and mitigating climate change

The most important achievements of agriculture in the Americas in combating and mitigating climate change and protecting the environment and natural resources, common points among the countries of the region, are being presented to the world by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture ( IICA) at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-27), which takes place until November 17th, in Egypt.

COP-27 brings together heads of State and Government, ministers and negotiators, climate activists, mayors, representatives of civil society and private organizations at the most important annual meeting on climate action, which is expected to adopt essential measures to combat climate change. of the climate emergency.

At this global event, the director general of IICA, Manuel Otero, presents the document “Milestones for sustainable agriculture in the Americas”, which describes several successful experiences developed in rural areas in recent years, narrated by its protagonists in detail, didactic and with scientific rigor.

IICA's objective with the presentation of experiences is to ensure that the agricultural sector is understood as a fundamental part of the solutions to address climate change and contribute to the transformation of global agri-food systems through a science-based process that has the farmers as central actors.

Aimed at the general public and specialists, the document provides information on direct planting or conservation agriculture, the intensive rice cultivation system (SRI), agroforestry systems, natural pastures, the use of coffee by-products, livestock farming sustainability and good practices that have been adopted in Caribbean countries.

These are successful experiences of the agricultural sector on the American continent, which is embarked on the transition to more inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, based on the principle of producing more with less. 

“We know that our agri-food systems are perfectible, but we are also convinced that they are not unsuccessful systems. Many good things are being done in terms of environmental sustainability, and these cases, widespread across the continent, demonstrate this”, said the director general of IICA, Manuel Otero. 

The important role of soils 

“Sustainable agriculture and agri-food systems in the Americas play a strategic role at the global level and within countries in the region: they play an irreplaceable role in socioeconomic recovery and sustainability and food security, and their contribution is decisive for harmonious economic development and social”, said Rattan Lal, director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center (C-MASC) at Ohio State University, considered the greatest global authority on soil sciences, and IICA special envoy to COP-27.

He explains that soil can also become a sink for atmospheric carbon and limit global warming, and for this to happen it is necessary to transform science into action. “We hope that COP27 will help us achieve this”, added Lal, who received the 2020 World Food Prize.

During the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNCC), Lal and Otero lead the organization's support for the efforts made by countries in the Americas to direct the voice of agriculture on the global stage of climate discussions.

For IICA, agriculture is a fundamental part of solutions to climate change, based on the management of natural resources carried out by farmers and the tools offered by science and innovation for this activity.

“Farmers around the world are the greatest stewards of the earth. There are more than 500 million small producers, therefore, they are the main executors of the concept of how to make agriculture a solution to climate change. Our policies, at all levels, district, county, state, national, regional and international, must be in favor of farmers, in favor of agriculture and in favor of nature”, said Lal.

IICA's Special Envoy to COP27 participated in September, in Costa Rica, in the meeting in which the agriculture ministers of the Americas reached a consensus on messages to be taken to COP27 with a focus on the relevance of the agricultural sector and the need for its leadership in global adaptation, mitigation and resilience efforts to climate change.

“The concept I propose is to cultivate carbon. Then farmers, land managers, ranchers and those who manage plantations can grow carbon in the land, trees and soil and be rewarded. Just as they can sell milk, poultry, beef, corn and soy, they should also be able to sell carbon, so that it becomes a basic product”, added the scientist.

“Is it possible to give the commodity of soil carbon a price that is fair, transparent and farmer-friendly? Most of the money allocated to this price should actually go to farmers. This would help us translate science into action and transform agriculture into a solution to climate change”, he said.

In different forums organized by IICA in recent months, Rattan Lal expressed the need for the work of farmers to be respected as an essential profession for food and nutritional security on the planet. 

Pavilion

At COP27, IICA and international partners maintain the House of Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas pavilion, with the motto “Feeding the world, caring for the planet”, where around 60 events are being held, until the end of COP27, at a high political level and technical and examples of good practices, experiences and lessons learned in the Americas will be shared so that global agriculture is more sustainable.

Topics such as climate resilience, food and nutritional security, soil health, climate-smart production systems, nature-based solutions, sustainable livestock farming, climate-smart dairy production, the role of women and young people in climate-resilient agriculture, biofuels, technologies and productivity, will be present in the different dialogues in a hybrid format (in-person and virtual).

“We will discuss all topics with a sense of self-criticism, knowing that agri-food systems are perfectible, but are never unsuccessful systems”, said the director general of IICA, Manuel Otero.