Fran O’Sullivan writes in the NZ Herald about the inaugural meeting of the Global Research Alliance, beginning today in Wellington.
The GRA, which now has 28 member countries, was formed to examine the twin challenges of increasing world food production while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions produced by agriculture.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“Even determining consistent measures for agricultural emissions will be a stretch. But it will be abundantly obvious that without technological innovations the major challenges facing the world will not be surmounted.
“Groser stresses building trust and confidence in the process will be one of the big challenges.
“During closed sessions the delegates will determine how the alliance is governed and the leadership of four agriculture workstreams: Intensive livestock, extensive livestock, arable crop and rice paddies.
“With nearly 80 per cent of agriculture emissions coming from livestock production, there will inevitably be debate over what is the right agricultural mix to ensure growing populations can be fed.”