Australian farmers are leading the charge on calls to fast track research into reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Australia is one of nine countries to sign up to an Agriculture Climate Alliance announced on Sunday at the United Nations' COP28 climate conference in Dubai. Led by Australia, the alliance said agriculture must be at the centre of global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Details of the alliance have been released as food and agriculture took centre stage at the major climate summit. Agriculture is a major focus at this year's summit, with a full agenda on Sunday dedicated to food and farming topics. The alliance includes Australia, New Zealand and several South American countries and advocates "an ambitious, targeted approach to climate action in agriculture". "We are being proactive in this space," president of the National Farmers' Federation David Jochinke told AAP from Dubai. "When we talk about climate and agriculture's role in it, it needs to be included in the conversation and not limiting productivity," he said. It follows a pledge at the climate summit last week by 134 world leaders to the agriculture, food and climate action declaration. Last week Australia also signed on to a pledge to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030. "We don't want policy to cut farmers off at the knees because they're trying to achieve an environmental outcome. It shouldn't be at the cost of production," Mr Jochinke said. An international expert in agriculture and food security Mark Howden says the alliance is a positive step. "Having a robust agricultural sector is really important for economic and regional development and social factors," he said. But he warned that much of what the alliance is pushing has been previously acknowledged in the Paris Agreement signed eight years ago at COP21. "To say that agriculture and food have been ignored or imply that's the case is simply not true," Professor Howden, who is also vice chair of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said. "Yes they're bringing attention to this topic, but it's a topic which has already has been accepted as being important." One of the five key aims of the alliance is for the recognition of the role of livestock in the global agri-food system, and the fast-tracking of research around greenhouse gas emissions. News of the alliance was welcomed by Farmers for Climate Action, which is also represented at COP28. "This statement makes clear that all farmers must reduce emissions as most are already doing," Natalie Collard from Farmers for Climate Action said. "It's excellent to have this formal international co-operation between farmers to reduce emissions," she said. "We must also tackle climate issues head-on as we work to increase renewable energy and quickly phase out fossil fuel use so we can keep farmers farming." The head of the Macdoch Foundation, Michelle Gortan who is co-hosting the Food Systems Partnership Pavilion in Dubai also praised the alliance. "We welcome initiatives that centre the needs of farmers to manage for resilience, productivity and profitability in the face of climate change," she said. "Currently, the research available to meaningfully support them is limited and weak." Australian Associated Press
