Protecting biodiversity and nature

In August 2019, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (see page 7) published a Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL). This shows that agriculture, forestry and other types of land use account for 23% of human greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while natural land processes absorb carbon dioxide equivalent to almost a third of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry.

The report shows how managing land resources sustainably can help address climate change. It reports that when land is degraded, it becomes less productive, restricting what can be grown and reducing the soil’s ability to absorb carbon. This worsens climate change, while climate change in turn worsens land degradation.

On food security, it says that around a third of food produced is lost or wasted. Balanced diets, featuring plant-based foods, such as coarse grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, and animal-sourced food produced sustainably in low GHG emission systems, present major opportunities for adaptation to and limiting climate change.

The wide-ranging report finds that the intensification of farming has fuelled a decline in the condition of the world’s land, deforestation and biodiversity loss. The report calls on governments to urgently prioritise green farming practices and implement systems like agroforestry.