wonder how much CO2 this produced Perhaps we could lay off the cows digestion and be allowed to eat meat for twelve months to offset !!
Archive for the ‘Carbon footprinting’ Category
COPA-COGECA WELCOMES DECISIONS FROM CANCUN THOUGH URGES MORE PROGRESS TO BE MADE IN 2011
Copa-Cogeca welcomed today results from the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun which came up with a balanced set of decisions, but more progress could have been made.
Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen stressed “Copa-Cogeca welcomes the fact that negotiators in Cancun restored faith in the multilateral process and came up with a balanced package of decisions, in order to make progress towards a new climate treaty. But there is still much work to be done before the next Conference, the COP 17, in South Africa”.
However, Copa-Cogeca regrets that the text agreed in Cancun does not note the important role of food production systems in mitigating and adapting to climate change. We believe that greenhouse gas emissions can be cut at the same time as raising productivity in the EU agriculture and forestry sectors. This is crucial given that FAO predicts that world food production needs to be more than doubled by 2050 to meet growing demand.
He continued: “We consequently wait with anticipation for work to continue in 2011. In particular, this should focus on enhancing the relationship between agriculture and food security and the link between adaptation and mitigation. There also needs to be a clear mandate for the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) to establish a work programme on agriculture. Furthermore, definitions, modalities, rules and guidelines relating to LULUCF (Land use, Land use change and Forestry) for application in the second commitment period need to be worked on”.
For more information, please contact:
Antonia Andugar Amanda Cheesley
Senior Policy Advisor Press Officer
Copa¬-Cogeca Copa-Cogeca
WWW.copa-cogeca.eu
Supporting research for this chapter Effects of changes to land use and greenhouse gases by changes in food consumption Based around Cranfield University researchers
The conclusion This study has clearly shown that UK land can support consumption change that reduces greenhouse gas emissions from the food system. The reduction in land needed to supply the UK that comes with a reduction in livestock product consumption brings potential environmental benefits and significant opportunities to deliver other products, including other ecosystem services, from UK agricultural land. The study has shown that some risks currently argued as arising from consumption change are small. In particular the study shows that arable land needs will not increase if the consumption of livestock products is decreased. The risk that emissions will be exported is also shown to be small. The identification of the significant potential benefits of consumption change combined with the low risks of unintended consequences has far-reaching implications for guidance to consumers and the development of agricultural policy. The results are broadly applicable to other European countries which means
they are relevant to international policy development, for example the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Graham w