Among the many documents on the table [at the COP26 climate talks] will be the latest climate report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), issued last August.
Two of its conclusions have to do with agriculture – one of which is a certainty, the other being open to question.
First, it is stated that “human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land”, and that this has consequences, not least for agriculture, mainly in the form of drought.
The second conclusion is that agriculture is once again singled out as a significant source of emissions.
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Yes, it is important for agriculture to contribute to the climate change fight.
But in contrast to most other sectors in society, agriculture can contribute in two ways – by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, and by expanding carbon capture from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.
The organisers of COP26 talk in terms of “global net zero” by mid-century.
The important word here is “net”. Logically, that should mean they count the difference between carbon emission and carbon capture, yet this latter aspect is overlooked.
Agriculture is a solution to climate crisis, not the main problem.
