{"id":24274,"date":"2024-10-03T10:10:20","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T08:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carnisostenibili.it\/?p=24274"},"modified":"2024-10-03T16:09:22","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T14:09:22","slug":"working-together-to-accelerate-the-eus-green-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carnisostenibili.it\/en\/working-together-to-accelerate-the-eus-green-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"Working together to accelerate the EU’s green transition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Accelerating the EU’s green transition is a priority in the fight against climate change. Collaboration is the key to reducing on-farm emissions.<\/em><\/p>\n

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions <\/strong>from agriculture and livestock is key to achieving the EU’s climate change targets<\/strong>. Farmers face significant challenges<\/strong> in reducing these emissions on their own. The EU has successfully reduced its emission intensity in agriculture since 1990<\/strong>, as emissions grew slower than output, reflecting a decoupling of emissions from production.\u00a0According to the OECD report<\/a>, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCSE), these reductions happened in the 1990s and 2000s due to a better use of fertilisers<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Focusing on livestock, methane emissions from enteric fermentation<\/strong> and nitrous oxide emissions from soils<\/strong> are responsible for 48% and 31% of total agricultural GHG emissions<\/strong>, respectively, according to the European Environmental Agency (EEA)<\/a>. Methane from manure management<\/strong> accounts for about 17% of emissions<\/strong>, and the remaining sources make relatively small contributions, accounting for less than 5% of agricultural GHG emissions in total<\/strong>. Between 2005 and 2021, the EU’s agricultural GHG emissions slightly decreased by 3%, with a further estimated reduction of 2% in 2022. Member State projections indicate that if additional measures are implemented, they will decrease by another 8% towards 2030<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It is important to note that livestock emissions decreased 21% from 1990 to 2021<\/strong>, while crop emissions increased 10%<\/strong> in absolute terms. However, the EU’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050<\/strong> depends on significant reductions in emissions from the agri-food system, <\/strong>and to meet these challenges, the EU has put agriculture at the heart of the Green Deal,<\/strong> adopting the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive <\/strong>(CSRD). This requires agri-food companies to assess and disclose their GHG emissions reduction targets before the directive enters into force in 2025. According to a recent Rabobank report<\/a>, cooperatives can play a key role in decarbonisation<\/strong>, as the EU transition to a sustainable food system<\/strong> requires cooperation. A ‘whole farm’ approach that brings together the entire supply chain<\/strong> to share costs, risks and rewards to reduce emissions effectively is the key to reducing on-farm emissions.<\/p>\n


\nCollaboration is the key to reducing on-farm emissions <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Farmers are at the heart of efforts to reduce emissions in the agri-food supply chain<\/strong>, and they need help to decarbonise production<\/strong>, especially given the small size of the average farm in the EU, which is 17 hectares, which poses significant challenges<\/strong>. The commodification of agricultural products and low-profit margins often prevent farmers from investing in decarbonisation<\/strong>. For this reason, a joint effort<\/strong> involving policymakers, farmers, cooperatives, industry players and financial institutions is essential for an efficient transition to a sustainable, low-carbon crop sector. EU cooperatives can be crucial<\/strong> in this transition. Indeed, efforts to reduce on-farm GHG emissions often focus on single crops, which aligns with food companies’ product-specific targets. Given that European farmers<\/strong> typically grow multiple crops<\/strong>, a strategy to reduce GHG emissions<\/strong> across all crops in rotation could be more effective. This approach requires collaboration across multiple value chains.<\/p>\n


\nThe key role of cooperatives<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“The European food system is ready for collaboration<\/strong>, particularly in achieving climate and sustainability goals. The uneven distribution of margins and emissions<\/strong> requires a united effort among value chain players,” says Elizabeth Lunik<\/strong><\/a>, senior specialist in food and agribusiness, climate and sustainability at Rabobank. “While most collaborations concentrate on individual crops, there is a growing need for cooperatives<\/strong> to ensure that farmers also reap the benefits, whether through cost compensation or commodity price premiums<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

These cross-value chain strategic partnerships address GHG emissions from all crops across the farm, delivering greater benefits to farmers<\/strong> by creating a sustainable supply chain and meeting Scope 3 reduction targets<\/strong>. Harnessing the benefits of regenerative agriculture<\/strong> through a holistic approach can deliver sustainable benefits and returns. However, reaching a consensus<\/strong> among stakeholders on the distribution of costs, risks, and rewards is essential. Unfortunately, only a few cooperatives are currently involved in such collaborations.<\/p>\n

According to Lunik, European agricultural cooperatives’ strategic position in the value chain is a key facilitator in ensuring successful transitions<\/strong> within the food value chain: “Successful transition programs require support across the supply chain<\/strong>, including indirect beneficiaries such as local governments. The transition cost<\/strong>\u00a0and associated risks and benefits must be equitably shared<\/strong> to develop a market for sustainable food products”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Accelerating the EU’s green transition is a priority in the fight against climate change. Collaboration is the key to reducing on-farm emissions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[677],"tags":[771,3866,6246,2376,6247],"class_list":["post-24274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment-sustainability-en","tag-climate-change","tag-eu-green-deal","tag-eu-green-transition","tag-methane-emissions","tag-rabobank"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t