The Story of Agriculture and Climate Change: The Road We've Travelled

RESEARCH PROGRAM ON THE STORY OF AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE: Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security EARMING CGIAR CCAFS THE ROAD WE'VE TRAVELED Agriculture is important to all countries as producers and consumers of food, and it is central to many countries' economies, supporting the livelihoods of billions around the world. Farmers in both developing and developed countries will be affected by the impacts of climate change and we must support them to adapt, while meeting growing demand for food and helping tackle the causes of climate change. An estimated 2.3 billion $1=$7 people reside in rural areas dominated by smallholder agriculture Every US dollar invested in anticipatory measures for climate change planning initiatives is estimated to save up to 7 US dollars in future relief costs. Yields by SOUTH ASIA 2050 -18% agricultural yields across much of the world are expected to decrease due to climate change with Africa and South AFRICA -15% 34% Crop yield improvement has reduced total human carbon emissions by 34%. Since the 196os, this has meant a savings of around 13 billion tonnes each year. Asia most negatively impacted. ...while the world population will continue to grow. Every dollar invested in agriculture reduces carbon emissions by 68kgC. $1= 68kgC Changes in agricultural production technologies 17% TT Global costs of agricultural adaptation by 2050 are estimated to be in the order of could reduce emissions by of total emissions come from land use change (mainly from deforestation) "6000 $7 billion. MtCO2e per year, per year, 14%TTT with the most substantial investments being infrastructure, notably rural roads in Africa, and agricultural research. 70% with an with about additional of this potential in low-income and coming from agriculture. middle-income countries I Agriculture Forestry - General Agriculture Day 1992: The Rio Earth Summit establishes the UNFCCC as an 1992 intergovernmental treaty to help stabilise greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Article 4.1b states that parties are "committed to formulate and implement national and, where appropriate, regional programs containing measures to mitigate climate change and measures to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change." "Nowadays we don't enjoy farming like we used to. How am I coping? I plant fast growing varieties." 1995 1995: COPI takes place in Berlin. 1997: The Kyoto Protocol is adopted, setting binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing emissions on average by 5% from 2008-2012 (vs 1990 levels) and facilitating the development and deployment of adaptation techniques to help increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. Ruth Marigu Njue, Kenya 1997 2000 2001: The IPCC 3rd Assessment Report concludes that the poorest countries would be hardest hit by climate change. 2005: The AWG-KP is established to discuss future commitments for industrialized countries under the Kyoto Protocol. 2005: The REDD agenda item - "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing countries" is first introduced at COP11. 2005: SBSTA requests a series of five workshops to address scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of mitigation of climate change. Several session topics are related to agriculture, including "Agriculture, forestry and rural development" (May 2006) and "Non-Co2 emissions, including methane recovery and utilization" (December 2007) 2006 2006: SBSTA begins considering REDD, noting its potential role "as part of mitigation efforts to achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention". 2007: The AWG-LCA is established to conduct a comprehensive 2007: The IPCC's 4th Assessment Report is published, analysing the potential future effects of climate change on agriculture and identifying the current knowledge gaps to be addressed, for instance, the impacts of extreme weather events, the spread of pests and diseases and the development of specific practices or technologies to aid adaptation. process to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the UNFCCC through long-term cooperative action, now, up to and beyond 2012. In 2012, the terms of the AWC-LCA were extended for one year in order for it to continue its work and reach the agreed outcome. 2007 2007: The first ever Forest Day is held. Also, the first policy work on REDD is adopted at COP13 and discussions begin with the World Bank on funding 2008: At the request of the AWG-LCA, the UNFCCC Secretariat prepares a technical paper on the challenges and opportunities for mitigation in the agricultural sector. Recognising that mitigation was also being addressed by the AWG-LCA, SBSTA postpones their considerations related to mitigation until 2010 in order to avoid duplication. 2008 for REDD. 2008: The concept of REDD-Plus is introduced, adding to the REDD agenda "the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries." 2009: In March, the technical paper is discussed at an in-session workshop in the AWG-LCA along with submissions from Parties. In September, a dedicated drafting group for agriculture is established to negotiate a draft text on "cooperative sectoral approaches and sector-specific actions in agriculture". This draft text eventually proposes to establish a Work Programme on Agriculture under SBSTA, whose aim is to support the work of the COP through the provision of timely information and advice on scientific and technological matters. 2008: REDD is officially launched at COP14. 2009: At COP15 in Copenhagen, no legally binding, post-Kyoto commitments are reached and there is no explicit mention of agriculture or food security. However, the Copenhagen Accord is agreed on a voluntary basis. 2009 2009: First annual Agriculture and Rural Development Day takes place in parallel with COP15. "Because of the change in the climate, the seeds are not germinating. So there is more hunger. Four years back, it used to be OK." 2009: The World Bank approves support for REDD, and the UN-REDD Programme launches the initial readiness process (Phase 1) in nine pilot countries. Indramani Kumari, India 2010: Second annual Agriculture and Rural Development Day takes place in parallel with COP16. 2010: Of the developing countries to respond to the Copenhagen Accord, over half indicated agricultural mitigation actions among their replies, indicating the likelihood that agriculture will be a component of their national mitigation strategies. 2010 2011: At COPI17, a group of leading agricultural organisations call on UNFCCC negotiators to approve a Work Programme on Agriculture under SBSTA so that the sector "can take early action to determine the long-term investments needed to transform agriculture to meet future challenges". In the final text from COP17 in Durban, Parties and Observers are invited to submit their views on agriculture to SBSTA "with the aim of exchanging views and the Conference of the Parties adopting a decision on this matter at its eighteenth session." 2010: At COP16 in Cancun, agriculture and food security appear only once in the AWG-LCA documents, as a footnote to the Adaptation Framework. 2010: REDD is officially adopted at COP16. 2011: Third annual Agriculture and Rural Development Day takes place in parallel with COP17. 2011 "Twenty years ago, I can tell you that back then the yield was higher than now. There was more rain than now, there was more grass than now and the forest was still there. We too have to change in order to adapt to the situation. While I've seen difficulties, I've also seen how I can fight these problems. 2011: The ADP is established as a subsidiary body under the UNFCCC. It is to complete its work no later than 2015, coming into effect and being implemented from 2020. Nana Helene, Burkina Faso 2012: By May 2012, SBSTA receives 20 submissions from Parties, four from country groupings (EU, African Group, LDCS, and Environmental Integrity Group), five from intergovernmental organizations and 24 from non-governmental organizations and initiates "an exchange of views on issues relating to agriculture and agreed to continue consideration of this agenda item at its thirty-seventh session. with a view to recommending a decision for consideration and adoption by the COP at its eighteenth session" in December 2012. 2012 2012: Funding for REDD totals US$118.9 million with 16 partner countries involved, demonstrating the effectiveness of a dedicated Work Programme under SBSTA to build knowledge and consensus for taking action. 2012: COP 18 takes place in Doha, Qatar with discussions on how best to address scientific and technical issues related to agriculture to be continued here. 2012: Agriculture, Landscapes and Livelihoods Day to take place in parallel with COP18, in collaboration with Forest Day. Photos courtesy: Peter Casier (CCAFS) Definition of acronyms: ADP Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action IPCC - REDD - SBSTA - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation AWG-KP - Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I 6 Protocol Parties under the Kyoto P Conference of the Parties UNFCCC - United Nations Eor Scientific anntion Advice Technologicaite Change COP - THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW Our call to action: "We, the organizations below, call for the further consideration of a Work Program on Agriculture under SBSTA, in order to advance scientific and technical understanding and inform decision-making on agriculture's role in addressing future food security and climate change challenges." UG RESEARCH PROCRAM ON Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security FARMING FIRST FANRPAN CGIAR CCAFS CIFOR FOR IMPACT LA CIAT ICIMOD ICRISAT ILRI CIMMYT. Science with a human face CTA Cetnardde Ag thop laaioral Cerer Tepial Aloan Incmatioral Malne and Wheat Improvement Center LVESIOCX RESAND INSTITOTE ICARDA ORGA ARMERS IWM! TechnoServe PanAACY International UNE SOUTIONS TO PVERT Water Management Institute National Farmers' World Agroforestry Centre PAan ki iytortum TRANSFORNING LIVES AND LANDSCAIS FEDERATION SATION