Open Letter on Climate Action and Just Transition in Agriculture

The document recommends that the European Commission set binding sectoral gross emission reduction targets for the agri-food sector, avoiding carbon offsets and technical fixes in favour of agroecological and organic farming. It calls for a strategy to transition away from intensive livestock rearing, including a reduction in farm animal numbers and a corresponding dietary shift. Finally, it proposes the establishment of an Agri-Food Just Transition Fund to de-risk business transformation and a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy to remunerate farmers for ecosystem services.

• The authors recommend the European Commission establish a binding and ambitious sectoral gross emission reduction target aligned with the Paris Agreement and EU Climate Law. This target should be achieved through real reductions and holistic solutions like organic and agroecological farming, while avoiding carbon offsets and technical fixes. They also suggest an EU-wide consumption-based emission reduction target to cover emissions outside EU borders.
• The document calls for a strategy on the future of animal farming in the EU that focuses on transitioning away from intensive livestock rearing and reducing overall animal numbers. This strategy should support low-input pasture-based systems and be paired with a dietary shift promoted through a Plant-Based Foods Action Plan, an EU Protein Strategy, and sustainable public procurement.
• The authors propose the creation of an Agri-Food Just Transition Fund to support the transformation of food sector businesses into sustainable models within planetary boundaries. They argue this fund should be governed outside the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to de-risk the transition, while the CAP itself should be reformed to remunerate farmers for ecosystem services.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2024). Open Letter on Climate Action and Just Transition in Agriculture. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Open-Letter-on-Climate-Action-and-Just-Transition-in-Agriculture.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Open Letter on Climate Action and Just Transition in Agriculture. 2024. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Open-Letter-on-Climate-Action-and-Just-Transition-in-Agriculture.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Open Letter on Climate Action and Just Transition in Agriculture |date=11 December 2024 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Open-Letter-on-Climate-Action-and-Just-Transition-in-Agriculture.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{changingmarketsfoundation2024open, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Open Letter on Climate Action and Just Transition in Agriculture}}, publisher = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Open-Letter-on-Climate-Action-and-Just-Transition-in-Agriculture.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }