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Obtaining a commitment to promote food and at the same time reduce greenhouse gases that come from methane (CH4) in less than a decade, will be part of the objectives and the roadmap that is expected to be achieved at the First Ministerial Conference on Low Emission Food Systems. The initiative, which brings together more than 20 countries in Santiago de Chile, began this Thursday, April 13, with enthusiastic words from the Minister of Agriculture of this country, Esteban Valenzuela, making references to soccer and the long agricultural and livestock tradition of the South American country. .
Valenzuela called on those present to work for responsible production, for fair trade and to lift obstacles to move towards a reduction in global CH4 emissions. Act here and now, be part of the solution. “Let’s all be in the spirit of Lionel Messi”, said the minister opening the first session that featured speeches by the Chilean Environment Minister, Maisa Rojas, and the Spanish Agriculture Minister, Luis Planas.
Likewise, through a video, President Gabriel Boric welcomed the initiative in the context of the serious food crisis that the planet is experiencing. “I value this instance very much. I hope they can come up with concrete results that, also as a government, we can implement as soon as possible and I promise that with our Minister of Agriculture we will be following up on them to be able to take their recommendations and advance towards more sustainable agriculture and better food security,” he said. the Chilean president. The same was done by the United States Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, who gave a message encouraging the parties to take an active and challenging role in the face of climate change.
food industry
It was in November 2021 when nearly 103 countries, 15 of them large emitters, joined the Global Methane Pledge (Global Commitment for Methane) that expects to reduce methane emissions by 30%, in relation to 2020 levels. It is a powerful greenhouse gas that tends to go more unnoticed than carbon dioxide (C02), for what this initiative tries to promote concrete measures against the person responsible for 25% of the increase in global temperature registered on the planet. And although the countries that signed the agreement represent 70% of the world economy, the great absentees are India, Russia and China.
Today that commitment has grown and has the support of 150 countries that, together, are more than two thirds of world GDP. For this reason, the importance of this meeting in which agriculture takes on main relevance considering that among the main sources of emissions are the enteric fermentation processes of ruminant cattle, livestock manure systems and rice cultivation. Its role is not minor: it is the sector that contributes the most to the emissions of this gas.
Marcelo Mena looks optimistic. Former Chilean Minister of the Environment under President Michelle Bachelet and current CEO of the Global Methane Hub, believes that it is important to give a signal to the agricultural sector that solutions are being sought, since they do not want the industry to disappear, but rather the contrary. “We believe that the value they have in contributing to a healthy diet is irreplaceable,” says Mena. One of the objectives of this plan is for countries to see their own benefit and find local solutions. But it is also about reducing food loss: at least 50% of methane emissions come from the food sector. “In this context, it is an imperative that aligns environmental, social and economic objectives. In addition, the fact of being able to lower emissions through research and development is essential,” the former Chilean Environment Minister explained to América Futura.
Regarding those absent, Mena says that there is progress in other ways: with China, a coalition of organizations is working to address the challenges of organic waste and carbon through a bilateral agreement with the United States, while with India there is work with eight subnational states to lower emissions from their sanitary landfill through the use of satellite technology and with short-path pollutant mitigation plans, including methane.
In the parallel sessions that took place on this first day, the State secretaries, specialists and representatives of the private sector discussed strategies to advance in the reduction of CH4 emissions, covering the livestock industry, circular food systems or particular experiences such as rice cultivation. in Vietnam.
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