Livestock Research Group Newsletter - December 2015

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Page 6
In a guest article, CCAFS
(CGIAR’s Climate Change,
Agriculture and Food Security
Programme) has kindly shared
its analysis of the UNFCCC
Paris Agreement and the
potential opportunities for
food and farming.
CCAFS’ views on the Paris Agreement
and its impact on agriculture
After two weeks of negotiations, nearly
200 nations have finally agreed on
a global climate change agreement
to replace the nearly expired Kyoto
Protocol. The Paris Agreement – which
aims to limit the increase in global
average temperatures to “well below
two degrees C” and to pursue efforts
to limit it to 1.5 degrees C – will come
into force in 2020, and has already been
hailed as historic and ambitious by many
world leaders.
Though agriculture is not mentioned by
name, food security, food production,
human rights, gender, ecosystems
and biodiversity are explicit in the
Agreement:
• The preamble of the
makes specific reference to
“ safeguarding food security and
ending hunger, and the particular
vulnerabilities of food production
systems to the adverse impacts of
climate change” and also refers to
human rights, gender, ecosystems
and biodiversity, all issues that are
central to agriculture.
• Article 2.1 of the Agreement mentions
the importance of protecting food
production while reducing emissions.
The ambitious 1.5 degree C target
offers some hope for farmers and food
security:
• The Paris Agreement aims to limit
global temperatures “well below” two
degrees C, and pursue a 1.5 degree
target. As CCAFS has previously
outlined, the debate between a 1.5 or
two degree C target
.
• A 1.5-degree temperature rise would
produce fewer climate extremes than
a two degree C temperature rise,
which is good news for farmers in
the tropics, who are on the frontline
of heatwaves, droughts, floods and
cyclones.
©CCAFS-CGIAR
©CCAFS-CGIAR