Agriculture and climate change: Real problems, false solutions
Preliminary report by Econexus, Biofuelwatch, Grupo de Reflexion Rural and NOAH - Friends of the Earth Denmark
by Helena Paul, Almuth Ernsting, Stella Semino, Susanne Gura & Antje Lorch
September 2009
This is an updated draft version of a report whose final version will be published before the Climate Change Conference COP15 in Copenhagen, December 2009
online available at www.econexus.info
This report examines some of the promises currently being made for
industrial agriculture, currently a major source of emissions, to reduce the
impacts of climate change. These include claims for the benefits of no-till
or conservation tillage practices; biochar for soil carbon sequestration and
soil fertility; the intensification of industrial livestock and aquaculture
production; and genetic engineering of crops, enzymes and microorganisms,
promoted to increase production, reduce emissions and better tolerate
climate change.
The report also includes a brief analysis of the likely impacts of carbon
trading if further extended to agriculture, especially to soil carbon. It
touches on the issue of so-called marginal land, now being claimed,
purchased and enclosed in the name of producing bioenergy without competing
with food production. Finally it hints at alternative visions for
agriculture firmly based in biological and cultural diversity, in tune with
ecosystems and helping to stabilise climate.




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Biofuels are a wide range of fuels which are in some way derived from biomass.
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