A GROUP of agricultural organisations from across the globe, including the National Farmers’ Federation, are calling on global leaders to recognise the essential role of farming in efforts to mitigate climate change.

The Cairns Group of Farm Leaders (CGFL) represent farmers that grow and produce over one third of the world’s agricultural exports.

Ahead of this week’s Conference of Parties in Azerbaijan the farming groups issued the following statement:

It is our vision to create a world with an equitable and enforceable rules-based trading system in agriculture. We want to create the opportunity for our farmers to benefit from contributing to a sustainable agriculture sector including via the socio-economic development of our countries.

The CGFL strongly support the Cairns Group Statement on “The Contribution of the Multilateral Trading System to Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture and Food Systems”.

CGFL reaffirm commitment to farmer-led climate action at COP29

CGFL acknowledge the need for urgent action to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the unique potential for the agricultural sector to meet global ambitions on addressing climate change and the special vulnerability of the sector to the effects of climate change.

CGFL call on the Parties to the UNFCCC to:

Recognise the key role played by farmers in ensuring sustainable land management, the implementation of nature-based solutions to address climate change, and the further improvement of the sustainability of agri-food systems.

Recognise the proactive agricultural practices implemented by farmers across the world, investing private resources to meet sustainable agricultural production and circular economy business models to produce food and fibre. These practices have a positive impact on carbon sequestration, biodiversity, water management, soil health, and other environmental outcomes.

Ensure that climate policy remains consistent with Article 2 of the Paris Agreement by “Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production”.

Ensure due consideration of the need to ensure food security, accessibility, production, and the livelihoods of farmers in developing policy responses to climate change, noting the need for global action on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 of ending poverty and hunger.

Promote the appropriate use of multilateral forums including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) to further accelerate the transition to resilient agri-food systems and to further improve the productivity and sustainability of agri-food systems and ensure adequate consultation and participation of countries and groups affected.

Recognise the role of international agricultural trade, innovation, and technology in achieving climate and food security ambitions through building value chains that lead to more efficient use of resources globally.

Recognise that the task of further improving the sustainability of agri-food systems globally must be economically viable and a shared responsibility within the value chain.

Recognise the need to meet the obligations of the Paris Agreement, including by promoting the operationalisation of Article 6, including items 6.2 and 6.4, for regulation of the carbon credit market.

CGFL underline calls for consideration of sustainability related trade policies.

More broadly, CGFL are very concerned at the growing prevalence of sustainability and climate change measures being used to create further barriers to freer and fairer international agricultural trade.

Within this changing international agricultural trading system, CGFL:

Note the increasing prevalence of sustainability and climate measures in trade discussions and underline that policies to promote sustainable agri-food systems should not be designed or used for protectionist purposes;

Recognise that imposing sustainability conditions on trade and market access lack understanding and appreciation of unique local agricultural contexts, including geographic, environmental, cultural, and socio-economic. There is no ‘one size fits all approach’ to sustainability;

Highlight that international trade is critically important to agricultural producers and the adoption of further agriculture liberalisation has the potential to contribute to the solutions to many of these global concerns;

Maintain that international and domestic efforts on sustainability and climate action be risk-, science-, and evidence-based, in line with international agreements and WTO disciplines, and shall not unnecessarily hinder the critical role international trade in agriculture plays in achieving global food security;

Promote the positive environment and climate co-benefits that can result from open trade enabling each country to fully develop their comparative advantage;

Maintain that the further improvement of the sustainability and resilience of agri-food systems must be outcomes-based;

Recognise that the net impacts of some types of agricultural subsidies on GHG emissions can be harmful to the environment and human health;

Seek assurance that non-tariff barriers which cannot be justified by reference to evidence-based exceptions recognised by the WTO, do not impede or distort trade or the production of agricultural goods, including the application of carbon border adjustment mechanisms that are not applied equitably;

Reaffirm their support to redouble efforts to reduce trade- and production-distorting domestic support measures, supporting the Cairns Group’s proposal to cap and reduce such support entitlements substantially and significantly;

Reaffirm support to develop a tangible pathway and workplan to limit the use of ‘blue and amber box’ supports and review the concept of ‘green box’ supports to ensure minimal impact on trade and production;

Recognise that the debate on food systems transition needs to consider the entire food chain, from farm to table. It is not correct to address food systems by looking only at agricultural systems, directing disproportionate obligations to the primary production sector;

Recognise the importance of commitments provided in the Paris Agreement to ensuring the implementation and effectiveness of climate actions by and on agriculture in developed and developing countries; and

Recognise that initiatives to a just transition need to be adapted to national circumstances, taking into account different production systems and their particularities, highlighting the climate and environmental benefits associated with agriculture and food systems, in line with the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action.

Cairns Group of Farm Leaders – Member Organisations

· Sociedad Rural Argentina

· Australian National Farmers’ Federation

· Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock

· Canadian Federation of Agriculture

· Canadian Agrifood Trade Alliance

· Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura Chile

· Sociedad de Agricultores de Colombia

· Cámara Nacional de Agricultura y Agroindustria

· Camara del Agro Guatemala

· Agexport Guatemala

· Indonesian Farmers’ Association

· Malaysia National Farmers Organization

· Federated Farmers of New Zealand

· Asociacion Rural del Paraguay

· Philippines Federation of Free Farmers Coop

· South African Confederation of Agricultural Unions

· Cooperative League of Thailand

· Asociacion Rural del Uruguay

· Vietnam Farmer’s Union

Source: Cairns Group