Copenhagen

The climate negotiations are highly demanding, and involve a multitude of complex questions that must be answered. We take the firm view that a sustainable solution to the challenge of global warming requires a climate agreement that takes account of global food security. Governments will be responsible for following up with national policies that balance agriculture’s different roles: as a food producer; as a producer of renewable energy; as a source of emissions; and, via carbon storage, as part of the solution. The world needs Copenhagen to mark the beginning of an international process that adopts a holistic approach to climate and food security.

The poor

One in six people, a total of more than one billion worldwide, lacks sufficient food. In the first half of 2009 alone, an extra 100 million people – more than four times the population of the entire Nordic Region – were added to that figure.

Climate change is a key factor in this rise. UN studies reveal that crop damage due to drought, floods and extreme weather events was the main cause in about half of the countries affected. In the hardest hit countries, yields may diminish by up to 50% in the period 2000–2020.

No solution without agriculture

Agriculture accounts for 10–14% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. It is also the sector that is the most vulnerable to climate change. It therefore needs to adapt to climate change and produce food in ways that minimise emissions.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation predicts that the world population will increase by two thirds over the next four decades. To meet increased demand, food production needs to increase by a stunning 70% in the same period, compounding the enormous challenge we face. Viewed in isolation, this statistic suggests that it would probably be impossible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Our clear objective must therefore be to find ways of reducing emissions per unit of production. The UN Climate Change Panel has pinpointed the reduction of carbon loss from the land as potentially the most effective means of achieving this aim. We must therefore turn our attention to farming methods that reduce carbon emissions from agricultural land, and find ways of improving the capacity of the soil to retain and increase its stores of carbon. In addition, increased carbon storage in soil not only helps to combat climate change, but also contributes to improved agricultural productivity.

Sustainability

The most environmentally friendly way to increase global food production is to improve the efficiency of existing agriculture, rather than farm new areas. Deforestation accounts for a significant proportion of total global CO2 emissions, and one of the most important causes of deforestation is the demand for agricultural land. Investing in existing farms is therefore an important way of reducing deforestation. The Nordic countries agree that an important element of the climate agreement will be to set up a dedicated process for reducing deforestation and the deterioration of existing forests.

Climate change in itself will also make improved yields necessary. If temperatures rise by more than 2°C, global food-production potential will decline significantly. New technology and improved farming methods will be crucial if we are to successfully adapt to climate change. New plant strains capable of coping with different growth conditions, higher temperatures, more (or less) rain, new diseases, etc. will be needed. The developed world must assume a particular responsibility for technology transfer and other forms of aid to the poorest countries, which will be both the hardest hit and the least well equipped to cope with the need to adapt.

Sustainable management and maintaining the genetic diversity of livestock will be important in coping with new demands for animal feed and climate adaptation, especially in the developing countries.

We must also emphasise the need for international efforts to maintain the diversity of plant conservation, plant breeding and livestock in the developing world. We need to support the farmers’ own conservation work and the development of local seed varieties, preferably in collaboration with research institutes. The Nordic countries have long been proponents of international partnerships in these areas. The Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NordGen) and the Global Seed Vault on Svalbard Island will enable us to continue to play an active role in regional and global partnerships for the conservation and utilisation of genetic resources.

Agricultural aid

The trend towards under-investment in agriculture must be reversed, and agricultural aid increased. The G8 countries have made this a top priority, and have agreed to provide $22 billion over three years to stimulate economic growth based on agriculture. The Nordic countries agree that agriculture should be accorded higher priority in development policy.

Fossil fuels need to be replaced by bio-energy, so it is critical that we do not neglect agriculture’s role as a producer of climate-friendly energy. Bio-energy already accounts for a high proportion of energy consumption in poorer countries, but it must be used more efficiently. This will also require new technology – even though the solutions will often be extremely simple.

We agree that Copenhagen must signal the start of an international process in which food security and the climate are viewed together. As ministers of agriculture, we share a responsibility for the development of sustainable, climate-friendly agriculture in the Nordic Region. We take that responsibility very seriously, and we intend to build upon our sense of Nordic affinity to find the best possible solutions for the Nordic environment.

Jón Bjarnason, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland
Eva Kjer Hansen, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Denmark
Sirkka-Liisa Anttila, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland
Lars Peder Brekk, Minister of Agriculture and Food, Norway
Eskil Erlandsson, Minister for Agriculture, Sweden