Agriculture produces nearly 20 percent of greenhouse gases, which is why the industry should play a fundamental role in mitigating the impact of climate change, said the head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization at climate talks in Morocco. “We have to transform agriculture to make it more productive and more resilient at the same time,” said FAO director general Jose Graziano da Silva, noting that agriculture is often the economic backbone of developing nations
The climate conference in Morocco is aimed at implementation of pledges that nations made a year ago in the Paris accord. More than 90 percent of countries included agriculture in their plans to adapt to climate change, says FAO. Graziano da Silva said increased global investment in “sustainable and climate-resistant agriculture” would be instrumental in combating climate change.
In addition, FAO launched an initiative on water scarcity in agriculture as part of climate change efforts. An estimated four billion people, or two-thirds of the world population, live with severe water shortages for at least some of the time, says FAO. An adequate water supply “is one of the main challenges for sustainable agriculture,” said the FAO chief.