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Increasing demand for food, fiber and fodder will put great strains on land, water, energy and other resources. The expected increase in agricultural production will bear heavily on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Agricultural commodity markets may also change: the price spikes of 2008 and 2011 are a reminder of how sensitive agricultural commodity markets can be. This paper…

Climate change and variability is a major challenge facing smallholder farmers and adaptation is now a priority in many countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Farmers, livestock keepers, and fisher-folk living in fragile environments such as drylands and mountain areas are directly exposed to the risks associated with climate change. This is particularly true in regions that already suffer from soil…

This guide seeks to explain the treatment of land use under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including requirements for reporting GHG emissions and removals, accounting under the Kyoto Protocol, and guidance for REDD+. The objective of this Guide is to increase the technical understanding of the treatment of land use under the United Nations Framework…

Agriculture contributes substantially to global climate change. The sector accounts for roughly a fifth of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when one considers the full life cycle of production including agriculture’s role in deforestation. This is a massive number, comparable in scale to the transportation sector. Further, this ratio can be even higher in developing countries…

Forests cover nearly one-third of the world’s land area. They provide vital environmental services such as soil and water protection, regulate the climate and preserve biodiversity, produce valuable raw materials and food, and sustain the livelihoods of millions of people. Forest genetic resources – the heritable materials maintained within and among trees and other woody plant species –…

This report finds that while climate change may not be the sole cause of conflict in the future, it will increasingly become one of the most important and decisive factors. It will play a prominent role as a ‘threat multiplier’ – in situations where multiple stressors already exist, climate change may breach critical thresholds that lead to outbreaks of conflict. This is particularly…