Agriculture stands as a central player in contributing answers to the current world’s challenges and multiple crises. Indeed, agriculture through its multiple functions offers essential services and livelihoods to a growing world population. Agriculture is at the heart of a green economy, and therefore is a driver of economic development in rural areas.

Agriculture offers multiple services: it is the mainstay of livelihoods and economic growth
The key functions of agriculture go beyond the mere responsibility of producing food. Agriculture provides a wide range of other services such as the production of feed, fiber, energy and ecosystem services. Farmers as custodians of the environment are in constant interaction with nature. They are thus well-placed to use sustainable agricultural practices - such as conservation agriculture - to mitigate climate change and to benefit rural as well as urban populations.

Farmers need a positive incentive-based approach to be part of the solution to mitigate and adapt to climate change
Farmers have adapted to climate variability for centuries and still manage to feed the world’s population. Today, climate change poses a serious threat to farmers and the whole agricultural sector. However, the agricultural sector has the capacity to offer sound solutions to cope with this challenge, provided that farmers are encouraged to do so.

Therefore, a positive and enabling approach is needed through the establishment of the right incentive mechanisms,  supported by an international carbon accounting framework that recognizes the sequestration capacity of agricultural activities. This is meant to support farmers in bearing the cost of climate mitigation and adaptation.

An incentive-based approach to climate mitigation and adaptation, as opposed to a penalty-based approach, will have a positive long-term effect on the modernization and sustainability of the agricultural sector. This will in turn stimulate economic growth and rural development, lifting millions of rural people out of poverty.

Climate change effects reinforce the need for massive investments in the modernization of agriculture, in
particular in developing countries
Climate change exacerbates the existing difficulties that farmers worldwide have to face as a result of the neglect of agriculture in national budgets for decades. Evidence of this neglect is seen in the lack of investments in research and development, extension services, affordable credit, water and land availability, decreasing yields due to diminishing soil fertility, insufficient infrastructure etc.

With mounting pressure on the agricultural sector to provide the growing world population with enough food and energy while protecting the environment, substantial investments in agriculture are necessary. High priority must be given to increased production, productivity and high quality production in particular in developing countries. Such investments in agriculture are an effective way to combat climate change and poverty as well as to boost economic growth – they are the key to overcoming the climate change challenges while achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Increasing the resilience of the agricultural sector through increased investments
A resilient agricultural sector is capable of adapting to climate change. Increasing agriculture’s resilience by investing in, scaling up and replicating successful sustainable agricultural practices that improve production efficiency and yields, is crucial to ensure current and future food and energy security in a changing climate.