The final summary report is now available from the ‘International Conference on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Food Security – Connecting Research Policy & Practice’ focused on agricultural GHG emission reduction in light of climate change, sustainable agriculture, and food security.
The conference was held on the 10-13 September 2018 in Berlin, Germany, alongside the GRA Council meeting, and brought together approximately 300 scientists and stakeholders from government, public administration, industry and farmer organisations. Thematic discussions brought together participants to discuss key challenges facing agricultural production and the reduction of GHG emissions from both a scientific and policy perspective identifying a key statements and recommendations for each topic.
A few key take away messages:
- A greater focus on how to act upon scientific findings and implement scientific recommendations is needed
- Move to a science of implementation, not just the science of options or measurement
- More boldness in policy design: large-scale initiatives and learning
- Co-designing solutions with farmers, investors, input suppliers, advisory services to mainstream mitigation is essential
- For MRV regional data platforms, novel methods and information systems are promising solutions
- Higher priority to reduce loss and waste: food and other resources – circularity
- Ensuring effective policy coordination and coherence
- political will – we need it all: top-down and bottom-up, good governance
- Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture: science, practice and policy – all have a role to play
The conference was organised by the Global Research Alliance (GRA) and the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI) of the European Commission, in partnership with CGIAR-CCAFS and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and supported by its Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries (Thünen Institute).
Each organisation presented to conference participants on their key research achievements and outcomes and provided a wrap up of the key outcomes from the conference. The organisations were represented by:
- Hayden Montgomery (GRA Special Representative)
- Hartmut Stalb (Chair of FACCE – JPI)
- Bruce Campbell (CCAFS & CGIAR Representative); and
- Lini Wollenberg (Flagship Leader of Low Emissions Development at CCAFS (USA))
Click here to view the final summary report.
Alternatively, to learn more about the conference click here for the final summary slides.
The ‘International Conference on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Food Security – Connecting Research Policy & Practice’ focused on agricultural GHG emission reduction in light of climate change, sustainable agriculture, and food security. The conference was held on the 10-13th September 2018 in Berlin, Germany.
The conference outcome was summarised by:
- Hayden Montgomery (GRA Special Representative)
- Hartmut Stalb (Chair of FACCE – JPI)
- Bruce Campbell (CCAFS & CGIAR Representative); and
- Lini Wollenberg (Flagship Leader of Low Emissions Development at CCAFS (USA))
To learn more about the conference click here for the final summary slides.
Alternatively, click here to view the AgriGHG conference video and final report.
The eighth annual Council Meeting for the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) was held 10-11 September in Berlin, Germany. This meeting provided an exciting yet unique opportunity to cooperate and merge various initiatives in the context of sustainable agriculture, climate change, and food security. This meeting saw the handover of Council Chair from Japan to Germany and the acceptance of Indonesia as vice-Chair.
Key outcomes of this meeting included:
- acceptance of two new GRA Flagships, one on Circular Food Systems and the other on Nitrogen;
- agreement for the GRA to support the UNFCCC Koronivia joint work on agriculture; and
- the announcement of several upcoming capability building opportunities supported by the GRA and our partners
This year’s meeting was held alongside the International Conference on Agricultural GHG Emissions and Food Security – Connecting Research to Policy and Practice, jointly organized by the Global Research Alliance (GRA) and the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI) of the European Commission, in partnership with CGIAR-CCAFS. The conference was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and supported by its Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries (Thünen Institute).
Representatives from 31 member countries that attended the meeting include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Senegal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Kenya also attended the meeting as an Observer country.
Partner organisations who attended this meeting include the Centre for Research and Education in Tropical Agriculture (CATIE), Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Food Security, Agriculture and Climate Change – Joint Programming Initiative (FACCE-JPI), Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (FONTAGRO), Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC), World Agricultural Forum (WAF), World Farmers Organisation (WFO). The Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA-Facility) was also invited to present their work at the meeting.
The presentations from this meeting can be downloaded here.
At the eighth annual Council Meeting held in Berlin, Japan spoke about what they have achieved in their time as Council Chair before the hand-over to Germany.
Some of their achievements included hosting the 2017 Council meeting and Science conference, supporting research groups and flagships, lifting the profile of Alliance, strengthening relations with its partners, and expanding the membership of the Alliance during its chairmanship.
The statement from Japan on it’s achievements can be downloaded here.
The International Agricultural Research Cooperation for Climate Change (the Follow-up side event of G7 Niigata Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting at the COP22, UN Climate Change Conference 2016) was held in Marrakech, Morocco on November 10th, 2016. The Government of Japan chaired the event, which followed soon after the entry into force of the Paris Agreement on November 4th, 2016. Representative stakeholders from G7 Countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and United States of America) and two international organizations (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)) attended the side event, with four international initiatives, including the GRA, the GACSA, the 4/1000 Initiative, and the Global Soil Partnership (GSP). Approximately 40 observers also attended.
Read the Chair’s Letter of Thanks
On 20th July 2016, the first meeting of the network “Actions for Mitigation of and Adaptation to Climate Change in Livestock Sector in Mediterranean Area”(MLN) was held in Bella, Italy. The meeting was hosted by the Extensive Animal Husbandry Research Unit of the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-ZOE). The idea to create MLN arose at the annual LRG meeting held at Lodi (IT) and was launched at the GRA Engagement Workshop, held in Izmir (Turkey) on November 18-19 2015, to deal with three areas representing key concerns for livestock in the Mediterranean region: water, mycotoxins, and good practices of mitigation and adaptation.
Outcomes of the meeting included actions to gather literature on themes of interest and on relevant national and international programs to MLN, and the decision to apply a COST project to MLN activities, with particular attention paid to methods and to novel concerns (i.e. emerging mycotoxins).
All the scientists who expressed their interest in MLN will be invited to join the project and to share this information with other colleagues, especially if belonging to countries not presently involved.
A summary report is available here. All people interested to join MLN can contact the GRA Secretariat or Giacomo Pirlo ([email protected]).
The Paddy Rice Research Group’s Sub-America’s division met on 13-15 July this year in Stuttgart, Arkansas, USA. The meeting was attended by 10 GRA Member countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Uruguay and USA, and a meeting report will soon be available. The presentations for the meeting are now available in the Members’ Area of the website.
PRRG 2016 Meeting participants on a field trip
The GRA’s International Research Collaboration Working Group (IRCWG) will hold its first physical meeting next month in Brussels, Belgium. The IRCWG was formed by Members of the GRA as an outcome from the 2015 Council meeting to assist in the preparation of the GRA’s 5-year strategic plan and to support the GRA Research Groups and collaborative research activities. The group will meet over two days, June 13-14, and will be hosted by the European Commission.
Any GRA Member who is interested in participating in the meeting and the Working Group should contact the Secretariat ([email protected]).
The Livestock Research Group held another successful meeting 19-20 February 2016, this time in Melbourne, Australia. A highlight of this year’s LRG meeting was a joint meeting with the newly formed Integrative Research Group (IRG), which will centre around a number of networks. The IRG was agreed at the GRA Council meeting in September 2015 as a merger of the previous Soil Carbon Nitrogen Cycling Group with the Inventories and Monitoring Group. The meeting was attended by Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy (via Skype), Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA and Vietnam, along with Tanzania, Uganda and other invited guests.
