Sustainability Issue #4 August 2010

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Global alliance:

Research on the greenhouse gases of agriculture

By Hans-Örjan Nohrstedt

In New Zealand, agriculture accounts for about 50 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. A meeting was held there in the spring of 2010 for a new international alliance of researchers that will coordinate research on plant breeding, rice growing and domestic animals.

Helps research. The sheep lives for 1-2 days in a chamber for the study of methane formation. Photographer: Hans-Örjan Nohrstedt

A bright spot during the Copenhagen meeting on climate in December 2009 was that the governments of more than 20 countries confirmed their intention to try to coordinate global research on agriculture and greenhouse gases. More countries have joined since, and 29 are now members of the alliance.

The background is that agriculture accounts for about 14 per cent of the global emission of greenhouse gases. These are carbon dioxide from fuels and the cultivation of organic soils, nitrous oxide from nitrogenous fertilisers and methane from ruminants. One probable contributory reason that it was New Zealand which had taken the initiative for the coordination is that agriculture there accounts for about 50 per cent of the emission of greenhouse gases.

A successful three-day kick-off meeting for the work of the alliance was held at the beginning of April in Wellington. Delegations from 23 countries attended. Sweden was represented by the undersigned on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture. New Zealand chaired the negotiations in a very good and engaged manner. Several ministers took part – the meeting was introduced by Prime Minister John Key and the chairman was the minister for international climatic negotiations Tim Groser. Minister of Agriculture David Carter was also present during a considerable part of the proceedings.

New Zealand will hold the secretariat during the first year. Several working groups were launched, inter alia groups for plant breeding systems, rice growing, animal husbandry and carbon and nitrogen processes in the soil.

Author :

Hans-Örjan Nohrstedt is Director of International Affairs, Formas

Responsible for this page: Birgitta Bruzelius

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