Agriculture in an International Climate Change Agreement

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the challenges and opportunities of integrating agriculture into an international climate change agreement under the UNFCCC. It highlights the 'triple dividend'—the potential to simultaneously improve food security, enhance adaptive capacity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions—while detailing the diplomatic tensions between developed and developing nations regarding trade, financing, and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

• Agriculture is a critical sector for climate change because it is both a significant source of emissions and highly vulnerable to climatic shifts. It directly accounts for 14 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually, with an additional 17 per cent coming from indirect sources like deforestation for agricultural expansion.
• The report advocates for a 'triple dividend' approach, where an international agreement on agriculture would simultaneously meet goals for food security, adaptation, and mitigation. This is particularly urgent as the world must feed an estimated 9 billion people by 2050.
• There is a significant divide between developed and developing countries regarding the focus of agricultural agreements. Developing countries prioritize adaptation and food security, while some developed countries have pushed to move agriculture into a separate stand-alone item or under the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) to focus more on mitigation and scientific methodologies.
• Developing countries express strong concerns that climate-related agricultural standards could be used as a pretext for unilateral trade restrictions. They argue that sectoral approaches should not sanction trade measures that restrict agricultural products from nations that cannot meet specific climate-based 'good practice' standards.
• The principle of common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR) is a major point of contention. Developing countries want CBDR applied to all sectors under Article 4.1(c), including bunker fuels, whereas developed countries have resisted this extension, which contributed to their desire to decouple agriculture from the broader sectoral approaches discussion.
• There is disagreement over the role of carbon markets and offsets in agriculture. Some countries oppose market-based approaches for financing, citing issues with non-permanence, additionality, and leakage, and argue that grant financing is essential for smallholder farmers who prioritize food security over mitigation.

APA

Murphy, D., Cosbey, A., & Hove, H. (2011). Agriculture in an International Climate Change Agreement. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_agriculture.pdf

Chicago

Murphy, Deborah, Aaron Cosbey, and Hilary Hove. Agriculture in an International Climate Change Agreement. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2011. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_agriculture.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Murphy |first1=Deborah |last2=Cosbey |first2=Aaron |last3=Hove |first3=Hilary |title=Agriculture in an International Climate Change Agreement |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2011 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_agriculture.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{murphy2011agriculture, author = {Murphy, Deborah and Cosbey, Aaron and Hove, Hilary}, title = {{Agriculture in an International Climate Change Agreement}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2011}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_agriculture.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }