Climate change and agriculture: consultation between Europe and developing countries is essential

Production and crop variations, the reappearance of pests and diseases, scarcity of water resources, spread of saline areas, etc: the impact of climate change on agriculture is already being seen in many areas worldwide. Given the prevailing poverty and instability in developing countries, they are the ones most exposed. However, the effects are also being felt in the North, which is why it is vital to take a global look at the consequences of climate change for agriculture. European agricultural research programmes therefore need to be coordinated in consultation with developing countries.

It was this determination that prompted CIRAD to support the organization of an international conference on "Dialogue between Europe and its Southern Partners on Agricultural Research and Climate Change" by:

• SCAR (Standing Committee on Agricultural Research);
• EIARD (European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development);
• ERA-ARD (Agricultural Research for Development dimension of the European Research Area), a network coordinated by CIRAD.

The conference was held on 16 and 17 December last in Brussels. It was attended by more than 140 people, including 40 representatives of developing countries.

"While the extent of climate change is still uncertain, what we do know is that farmers will have to change their ways ". This was what Ramadjita Tabo, Nobel Peace Prize holder, had to say at the conference. "To this end, developing countries need to acquire new tools and make the most of the teaching and training on offer in the North. This is why a partnership between Europe and such countries is absolutely vital ."

While there are already many partnerships between Europe, the Alliance of CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) Centres and African countries, for instance, a new European initiative on joint programming is also currently being launched by France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain. It is currently supported by seven other European countries. The aim is to optimize the programming and thus the efficacy of agricultural research funding in Europe. What of the involvement of developing countries in the initiative? Following the conference, it is still too early to tell what concrete form that involvement will take, but the question has now clearly been raised and partners' needs and expectations expressed.

See also

Agricultural research and climate change: European networks get their act together (Press release, 18/01/2010)