Opening the event in Malta, Cogeca President Thomas Magnusson underlined that the agriculture and forestry sectors are part of the solution in tackling climate change. Soil management, improved grassland management and afforestation are key to reducing emissions. He pointed to the increasing challenges producers face, such as extreme weather events and increased market volatility and highlighted how agri-cooperatives are showing leadership to overcome these challenges.
Concrete examples were presented at the high-level event, attended by Maltese Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Hon. Clint Camilleri, and hosted by Koperattivi Malta.
Improved measures for example to help farmers better manage risk as a result of price volatility due to climate change were underlined. Agri-cooperatives are also involved in projects relating to precision agriculture to enable farmers and their cooperatives to produce more using less resources and to improve the way that water is managed sustainably. They are driving research and development programmes to develop new seed varieties, for instance, which are more resistant to climatic events.
They are showing genuine leadership too to improve energy efficiency and encourage the use of renewables. The agriculture and forestry sectors provide climate-friendly alternatives to fossil-based fuels, via crop residues or dedicated energy crops, helping the EU to decarbonize the transport sector.