Change the food system, not the climate!
In the run-up to the meeting of the AGRIFISH Council, happening today in Brussels and addressing agricultural emissions, Slow Food sent a letter to Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner for agriculture and rural development, in coalition with other NGOs.
The letter states that agriculture should be required to contribute to emissions reductions to meet the more ambitious climate targets set out in the Paris Agreement.
Agriculture and the whole food system play a decisive role and must be at the centre of the debate on climate change. Food production is one of the main causes – and victims – of climate change, and could also become one of the solutions.
Every day, millions of people are losing land, sources of water and food, and risk becoming climate refugees. These people already live in the planet’s most disadvantaged regions. At stake, therefore, is also a question of social justice.
The commitments of the international community to fight climate change cannot overlook agriculture. In order to confront the problem of global warming, it is essential that governments renew and strengthen their commitment to limiting emissions. But this alone is not enough. We need a radical paradigm shift—economic, social and cultural—and the promotion of a new kind of agriculture, one that is sustainable and respectful of the environment.