image expired

This is crucial with over a billion people in the world in hunger and world demand for food on the rise and resources under increasing pressure.  On top of that, farmers and their cooperatives face the challenge of climate change, Copa President Gerd Sonnleitner and Cogeca President Paolo Bruni stated in the letter. 

“There is only one answer if we are to meet these challenge: that is green growth. Farmers have never looked at things solely from a production point of view, with no regard to the impact on resources or on the environment. Biodiversity is of the utmost importance to us.  But equally, with food demand rising, we can no longer afford to look at things from a purely environmental point of view – with no concern about the impact on production capacity and food security. All the more so given the current economic crisis”, they stressed.

They continued “We consequently urge leaders at the G20 summit to ensure that there are policies which will help farmers and cooperatives to achieve green growth.  We need solutions that help farmers to use resources more efficiently and to contribute to carbon sequestration and the reduction of green house gas emissions without reducing their profitability or production capacity. Developed, advanced and emerging nations should also boost and re-orient their current agricultural capacity-building support to less developed countries. More funding is needed to improve their resilience to the consequences of climate change and to protect the environment, biodiversity and natural resources.  An international commitment which fulfils the 1992 Rio principles needs such efforts to be made”.

In parallel, international efforts should focus on ensuring a sharp increase in agricultural investment in fields such as education, capacity-building in research, innovation and technology with the focus on helping farmers and cooperatives achieve green growth, they said. Wrapping up, they insisted “Green growth is a win-win solution.  It is the only way to achieve both food security and environmental sustainability as well as contributing to economic recovery and more jobs”