Farms, Climate Change, and Copenhagen

As this blog has posted before, roughly 192 nations will gather in Copenhagen, Denmark in December, 2009 to negotiate a global agreement on climate change. The host nation of Denmark will “push for better recognition of farming,” during the meetings.

Eva Kjer Hansen is in charge of agriculture policy for the Danish government in her role as the Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. While Danish farmers are struggling like others this year due to the global economic recession, Kjer Hansen believes the value of farming to the Danish economy and the environment are vital to understand and will be a vital part of any agreement. To that end Kjer Hansen believes the techniques being employed in Denmark could help show how the agriculture sector can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Kjer Hansen stated to Lucy Knight, in her story on Denmark for Stock and Land online, that ‘"[p]erceptions of food and food production were very important and farmers place a huge emphasis on traceability and the quality of their food because they want a high level of food security and quality . . . Danish farmers understand the high standards for what is acceptable in agricultural production emissions, especially for methane."’

Kjer Hansen believes, as do many in the environmental sector, that changes to farming techniques can help produce energy on the farm, improve the environmental conditions of a farm, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As farms turn to these methods there may be less public pressure on changing farming in order to deal with climate change.

To read Knight’s story click here.

Posted:11/11/09