Berlin, January 17, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Agriculture officials from 50 countries on Saturday backed calls for the world's farms to drastically cut emissions of climate-changing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Whether it is burping cows or slash-and-burn agriculture, farmers have been accused worldwide of being major contributors to climate change.

Climate issues have taken centre stage at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), an event held as part of the 10-day International Green Week trade fair for farm produce in Berlin.

German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner, chairwoman of the talks, said: "We farm ministers want to advance where the international community ground to a stop in Copenhagen (at the December climate summit)."

She said farmers face a conflict of interest, striving to increase yields while reducing emissions.

"To feed everybody on our planet in the year 2050, food availability has to grow 70 per cent," she said. "On the other hand, we have to do what we can to prevent the climate deteriorating. Farmers are both causers and victims at the same time."

Ideas on reconciling the rival aims are to be traded at a meeting next month of farm ministers, organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

China rejected accusations that it had blocked a deal last month at the Copenhagen climate summit.

Chinese Vice-Minister of Agriculture Niu Dun said that a climate accord required that a no more than a "fair burden" be placed on developing and emerging economies.

"My view is that the Chinese delegation at the Copenhagen conference operated responsibly and in a very future-oriented way," he said in Berlin.

Niu said that China would continue to work hard to fight global warming, and it was in its own interest to deal alertly with the issue since China was "the world's biggest developing country."

Aigner and the deputy director of the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Alexander Mueller, said that one way to help was for farmers to offer deep rock under their land as sites to sequester carbon dioxide. 

Ajay Vashee, chairman of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP), warned that it was unfair to abandon farmers to suffer all the negative effects of global warming without government help.

Green Week was in full swing on its second day, with 350 out-of- town coaches arriving by midday Saturday with people from around Europe eager to see and taste the current season's farm food quality.

 earthtimes