Harnessing Agricultural Innovation to Combat the Climate Crisis

Zitouni Ould-Dada, Deputy Director of FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Environment, outlined FAO’s new climate change strategy. The strategy operates on three levels: the global level, which focuses on scaling solutions, as well as the national and regional levels which aim to better prepare countries for the effects of climate change through technical and political support, and finally, the local level which seeks to strengthen communities and farmers. This new strategy emphasizes the need for partnerships and cross-collaboration between key players and embraces the use of science and technology. 

“The transformation we want to achieve is agriculture food systems that are more inclusive, sustainable, efficient, and resilient to the [climate] crisis. And the only way we can achieve that is by harnessing the power of innovation,” said Ould-Dada. 

The private sector is driving many such innovations, and Reza Rasoulpour, Scientist and Global Regulatory Lead at Corteva Agriscience provided insights on the role of science in transforming agriculture to address climate change. Key players must work to provide and democratize access to tools and technologies for farmers all over the world. Rasoulpour said that these innovations are ultimately “good for the environment, good for business, good for farmer profitability and sustainability, and overall good for food security.”  

Kelly Blair, co-chair of the Iowa Smart Agriculture Work Group, described how she and her husband are integrating new technologies and climate practices on her family farm in Dayton, Iowa. She shared how the farm shifted from having a linear farming process to building a circular and more diverse system. Blair’s farm is also one of three pilot projects in Iowa supported by the Iowa Department of Land Act and EPA that built subsurface tile that drains into a pond, where the water is reapplied for irrigation. Blair noted that farmers need to be open to these opportunities, but the main challenge preventing many from adopting new agriculture and climate practices is their bottom line. Farmers must be in a stable financial position first before looking for new opportunities and taking on risks. 

Another challenge to implementing climate-conscious agricultural practices on a higher level are regulatory gridlocks. Rasoulpour explained that the lack of harmonization in regulations causes trade barriers and impedes the development of new technologies and tools. 

“It takes 13 years to develop a crop protection product from discovery to launch, and the regulations may change 3 to 4 times. That means the landscape is constantly shifting under your feet,” said Rasoulpour. 

Finally, the panel discussed agriculture and climate change myths. Ould-Dada underlined the link between agriculture and climate change, stating that food systems contribute to a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. He also highlighted the need to address food waste and loss seriously. 

Rasoulpour pushed against the myth that synthetic products are automatically “bad.” Finding biological and natural products that are efficacious and have a good human health profile can be difficult, so designing a synthetic chemical with the required attributes can be an effective alternative. Rasoulpour stated that spreading innovations requires more transparency and education about synthetic chemicals. 

The myth that Blair addressed is that there is no one solution to the multitude of climate change issues. Solutions have to be integrated across issues and stakeholders. 

Eric Mitchell, Executive Director of the Alliance to End Hunger, closed the event by reiterating the importance of using science as a tool to address climate change and improve food security. He also noted, “As citizens, it’s going to be important for us to push our policymakers to look at climate change from an anti-hunger standpoint, looking at how we address climate change in hunger, malnutrition, and hopefully save the lives of millions of people around the world.”