The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) has proven to be a significant milestone for the global future, featuring urgent discussions of our collective destiny. In such a vital scenario, the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) emerged as an essential part in shaping and debating the directions of agribusiness in creating global solutions, with several prominent figures of the sector in attendance. Below, we highlight the main points discussed.
Food, energy, and climate security
Gedeão Pereira, Vice President of International Relations at CNA, opened the discussions underlining the delicate task of balancing food, energy, and climate security. Anticipating Brazil as a global agricultural leader by 2035, Pereira reinforced the country’s integral role in future contexts.
Ana Carolina Zimmermann, representative of the National Commission of New Leadership at CNA, brought a fresh perspective, focusing on the importance of youth representation in promoting sustainable agricultural practices. “Their innovation and dedication to the field have to be recognized in the international forums,” highlighted Zimmermann.
Carbon market
On the panel discussing the carbon market, Roberto Azevedo, ambassador and president of the International Initiative for Brazilian Agribusiness, outlined the inevitability of this new global market. “The market will happen. The real question is when. It will be a tool in harmonizing international relations over decarbonization efforts.”
Carlos Eduardo Cerri, from the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (Esalq), acknowledged the challenges but emphasized the opportunities amid Brazil’s specificities. “Agriculture is part of the solution to global warming. We must value it as such”.
Energy transition
Energy transition was surveyed, highlighting its potential for the agricultural sector. Renata Isfer, CEO of Abiogás, punctuated the role of biogas and biomethane in decarbonization, noting that these energy sources, derived from organic waste, not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also promote a sustainable approach to energy production.
Paula Kovarsky, Vice President of Strategy and Sustainability at Raizen, focused on the opportunities for agribusiness in driving sustainable solutions, including the integration of innovative agricultural practices and clean technologies to address energy and climate challenges.
Geopolitics of food security
The geopolitics panel enriched the debate, focusing on Brazil’s role as a global provider of food security. Rattan Lal, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and 2020 World Food Prize laureate, spotlighted not only Brazil’s potential but also the key interconnection between food security, energy security, and world peace. “Food is a basic human right, thus, peace will be elusive as long as nearly a billion people in the world suffer from hunger,” Lal warned.
COP 28 was undoubtedly an indispensable stage for these discussions, and CNA, with its significant participation, reinforced its commitment in contributing to the global dialogue on environmental issues, and reaffirmed its position as a leading entity in the agricultural sector. Brazilian Farmers are guided by the present and the promotion of a more balanced and sustainable future.