With support from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, the Meridian Institute, a new report has been produced which represents a call to action to create sustainable food systems: Climate Change & Food Systems: Assessing Impacts and Opportunities. The report was designed to bring together existing information about climate change impacts and opportunities for climate adaptation and mitigation into a food systems framework. An Author Team developed the report and established an Advisory Committee to guide the process, provide strategic advice, and offer technical input.
A peer reviewed journal article, based on findings in the report, is also available under open access from the Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems journal: “Climate change mitigation beyond agriculture: a review of food system opportunities and implications”.
In a recent study by Wageningen University & Research Centre, management interventions to increase the supply of organic carbon were tested with a linear programming model called NutMatch. NutMatch was applied to crop rotations with different mixtures of organic cattle slurry, pig slurry or compost, or with a mineral fertiliser. The study found that rotational crop residues, cattle slurry and compost each substantially contributed to soil organic carbon accumulation (range 200-450 kg C ha-1 yr-1); contributions of pig slurry and cover crops were small (20-50 kg C ha-1 yr-1). In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, it appears that the trade-offs between carbon inputs and emissions of greenhouse gases (notably N2O) or other pollutants (NO3, NH3) can be substantial.
