Sunday, October 3, 2010

A choice between feeding or saving the planet?

Here is an article over integrating climate and environment into agriculture and vice-versa:

1) The lack of integration of agendas is proving to be costly in developing countries.

Agriculture is both the victim and villain of climate change. Small-holders will suffer if there aren't any measures against the negative impacts of climate change (f.e. drought), while agriculture is the cause of deforestation and plays a large role in emissions.

2) Still a long way to go into integrating climate and environment with agriculture.

3) A clearer message is needed of opportunity in sustainable agriculture.

Best-practice approaches in agriculture are often described in terms of trade-off between feeding the planet or environmental sustainability. This is a false choice in the long term. Improving agriculture, reach poverty objectives as well as protecting the environment at the same time is possible (examples: Integrated Pest Management, sustainable agricultural intensification, multifunctional agriculture) . Sustainable agriculture is only sustainable as long as the environment and people's (basic) needs are respected.



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