Agriculture in the face of climate change

Agriculture is affected by climate change and causes emissions at the same time, but with sustainable approaches, it can also be part of the solution. GIZ supports climate-friendly approaches to secure yields and absorb CO₂.

Agriculture is under severe pressure due to climate change. Rising temperatures, heavy rainfall, long dry periods and increasingly extreme weather conditions are causing problems for many farms. New approaches are needed to ensure that agriculture and livestock farming remain sustainable, for example:

Species and varieties that suit the location

Plants that tolerate drought

Economical irrigation

More diverse cultivation systems

Climate action starts in the field

Agriculture is not only affected – it also contributes to climate change: Its greenhouse gases – mainly nitrous oxide and methane from livestock farming and fertilisation – account for around twelve per cent of all anthropogenic emissions. Major climate-damaging emissions also result when forests are cleared to create new farmland. If we consider the entire food chain, from fertiliser production to the supermarket, it is responsible for one-third of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. If we are to achieve the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, agriculture must be a priority area.

Absorbing CO₂ – agriculture as part of the solution

Agriculture can also help remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it. This is possible, for example, if farms initially retain biomass in their ecosystem, thereby increasing the humus content of soil, or plant more trees and permanent crops. Measures like this also increase soil fertility and assist in adapting to the impacts of climate change.

What we do

We support partner countries and funding providers in making their agricultural practices more climate-friendly and resilient. The focus is on smallholder families and an approach that combines three goals:

Achieving higher yields
Dealing better with climate change
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

We advise and support the development of climate- and environmentally friendly value chains for producing, processing and distributing food efficiently and in a sustainable way. In doing so, we are contribute to achieving the global sustainability goals.

We also:

Advise governments on planning climate-related agricultural programmes
Support international initiatives to make agriculture fit for the future

We work together with United Nations organisations, international agricultural research, the private sector and local people. We take the protection of biodiversity into account in all our activities.