“Put farmers at centre of global talks”

26-09-2014 | Home | News

Peter Kendall, president of the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), joined the UN Climate Summit in New York this week to ensure that farmers are no longer kept on the sidelines of global dialogues on agriculture and climate issues.

The Climate Summit aims to galvanise governments into action on climate change ahead of the important climate talks in Paris next year.

Speaking at a number of high level events, including the launch of the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture, Ministerial meetings on farming and a debate on achieving global food security, Kendall highlighted:

•    How Climate-Smart Agriculture offers triple wins of increased food production, climate change mitigation, and adaptation

•    The need to establish agricultural contracts that could offer opportunities for stable revenue through secure market access

•    That research and innovation are the basis of future success and that extension and rural advisory services are critical to delivery

•    The contribution of the sustainable production of renewable energies (biogas, biomass, biofuels) to mitigation

•    Called for an incentive-based approach to climate mitigation and adaptation, as opposed to one based on penalties to stimulate economic green growth

The World Farmers’ Organisation is an international member-based organisation whose mandate is to bring together farmers’ organisations and agricultural cooperatives from all over the world.

The WFO includes 64 members from about 50 countries in the developed and emerging world.

Throughout his visit, Kendall has strongly advocated the importance of the organisation. He said: “We have the primary objective to develop and propose policies that favour and support farmers’ issues throughout the world. Its success lies in its constituency; an organisation made by farmers for all farmers – small, medium and large scale”.

Source: NFU