With the COP29 conference under way until November 22, industry body AgriSA says the global climate change agenda is increasingly recognising the critical role of agriculture and farmers.

As COP29 is considered the “finance COP”, it is expected that a new funding target for developed countries to assist developing nations in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and managing the escalating impacts of climate change will be signed.

“Agriculture emerged as the only sector capable of addressing both emission reductions and global food security, emphasising the strong focus on incentivising climate mitigation and adaptation practices through innovative and sustainable financing mechanisms”, says AgriSA COO Jolanda Andrag, who attended the event.

She adds that during the Water, Food and Agriculture Day, it was encouraging to note that science-backed farm-level innovations that take a systems approach to emissions reductions were put forward as the point of departure for discussions regarding the future role of agriculture in climate change.

“Our American farmer counterparts highlighted research from the Kansas State University indicating that the largest reduction of emissions on farms will come from the aggressive adoption of practices that farmers are already accustomed to.

“In particular, farmer groupings highlighted the management of soil carbon, manure, grazing, nitrogen fertiliser, animal and crop production and efficient energy use as key opportunities to reduce emissions,” Andrag explains.

AgriSA CEO Johann Kotzé adds that South African farmers have a long history of adapting to changing climatic conditions. “We also have a strong appreciation of what regenerative and sustainable agriculture means in the context of operating profitability in the South African market.

“Farmers are intuitively sensitive to the microclimate in which they operate. Therefore, I am confident that South African farmers will be able to heed the call for greater sustainability and reduced emissions while maintaining food security,” he states.

AgriSA will continue to work alongside various government departments and commodity organisations to promote and accelerate climate adaptation and the need for green finance.