Innovative Green Transition Vital for the Agri-Food Sector Amid Climate Challenges
A global panel of agricultural experts advocates for a green transition in the agri-food sector to address climate change and curb carbon emissions. The 2024 World AgriFood Innovation Conference underscored the importance of technological innovations and sustainable practices to ensure food production amidst climate challenges, with a spotlight on China’s significant role in global food security.
In light of the pressing challenges posed by climate change, a prominent panel of agricultural experts has underscored the urgent necessity for an innovation-driven green transition within the global agri-food system. This call to action aims to address carbon emissions and the adverse effects of climate change on food production. The commentary arose during discussions at the 2024 World AgriFood Innovation Conference, hosted by China Agricultural University in Beijing. Sun Qixin, the president of China Agricultural University and a distinguished member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, highlighted a concerning projection that suggests food production could decline by 6 to 8 percent for every 1°C increase in global temperatures unless technological advancements are employed to mitigate these impacts. He elaborated on the uneven effects of climate change, acknowledging that while certain previously cold regions may see temporary benefits from warmer conditions, the overall disruption to agricultural stability is significant. For instance, this year has witnessed exceptional droughts and extended heatwaves resulting in crop failures across Brazil and China’s Henan and Shandong provinces. Sun emphasized the critical need to invest in research and technological innovations as green transitions necessitate substantial reductions in agricultural inputs, particularly fertilizers. He asserted, “We must proceed in this direction despite the challenges.” The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has indicated that the agri-food sector, which encompasses the entire spectrum from food cultivation to consumption, is responsible for approximately one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Fu Wenge, a professor at China Agricultural University, noted that facilitating green transitions does not always necessitate revolutionary scientific breakthroughs; rather, even small, cost-effective changes in management practices can yield significant outcomes. For example, Fu referenced the university’s Science and Technology Backyard initiative, where students collaborate with smallholding farmers in rural areas, promoting high-yielding crop varieties and environmentally sustainable farming techniques. Moreover, Ismahane Elouafi, executive managing director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), emphasized that achieving a green transition requires a broad scope of innovations across technological, policy, and institutional domains, advocating for collaborative models for nations to tackle shared challenges. Elouafi remarked, “The impact of climate change is multiplying every day, and the only way forward for us is to adopt innovation in its broad sense to really transform the agriculture system.” The experts reiterated the importance of raising awareness about increasing food production while minimizing the carbon footprint and maintaining environmental stewardship. Patrick Caron, vice-chair of the CGIAR system board, reflected on humanity’s historical success in increasing food production, noting that the current focus must also consider the ecological implications of that increase. In the context of a global backdrop marked by increasing food insecurity, all eyes are on China, which aims to boost its annual food production capacity to around 700 million metric tons by 2030, a slight increase from its current production of 695 million tons. Elouafi praised China as a ‘bright spot’ in the global landscape, attributing the reduction of poverty and hunger largely to its agricultural innovations and rural income enhancements. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, reiterated the country’s significant contributions to global food security, noting that China cultivates one-quarter of the world’s food on merely 9 percent of the arable land. She highlighted China’s provision of food assistance in times of crisis and its active sharing of agricultural expertise to bolster food production in developing countries. The call for the global agricultural community to innovate and adapt in the face of climate challenges, while simultaneously striving for sustainability, remains paramount.
The article discusses the advancements and necessary measures required for the green transition of the agri-food sector against the backdrop of climate change and its impacts on agriculture. Experts converged at the 2024 World AgriFood Innovation Conference in Beijing emphasized the need for innovation to curb carbon emissions associated with food production, while also highlighting the uneven effects of climate change across different regions. They pointed out that despite certain benefits of warmer climates, the disruptions caused by extreme weather patterns have detrimental effects on food stability. The discussions also focus on China’s pivotal role in global food production and security amid increasing food insecurity and changing consumption patterns worldwide.
The urgent call for an innovative green transition in the global agri-food sector aims to reconcile the need for increased food production with the imperative of environmental sustainability. Experts stress that both technological advancements and more modest, practical reforms are essential to confront the dual challenges posed by climate change and food insecurity. The proactive stance taken by countries such as China in enhancing food production capacities and sharing agricultural know-how stands as a model for global collaboration and resilience in the face of ecological challenges.
Original Source: news.cau.edu.cn
