The General Assembly of OPTA Europe has recently adopted the Manifesto for Organic Climate Action. An important signal from the organic processing and trade industry to speed up the transition to CO2-neutral farming, food and consumption with actions that make a difference.
The need of reduceing greenhouse gas emissions
And that is needed, because the global warming runs faster than ever before, as everybody can experience every day. The new update of the IPCC report, published this summer, shows it scientifically with forecasts that look terrifying if we don’t act now.
We will face great impacts on our living conditions in the coming decades if we don’t reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions in the coming seven years.
How can organic contribute to the climate protection
A recent study in Nature food, calculates the share of total agriculture and food chain in the GHG emissions on 34%, one third of all emissions. In several sectors, like energy, the transition has started. But food and agriculture are lagging far behind. It is the ambition of the organic sector to speed up transition to agroecological and regenerative organic agriculture that saves GHG emissions and contribute to the climate protection goals by the multifunctional environmental performance concept of the organic food and farming system approach. And climate crisis is interacting massively with other environmental problems. Therefore, it is our responsibility to change the food and farming system. Now.
We will face great impacts on our living conditions in the coming decades if we don’t reduce the carbon dioxide
Off course, production, distribution and consumption of food from organic agriculture is a feasible action that we all can take to reduce the impact on climate,’ says Bavo van den Idsert, OPTA Association manager. ‘Organic realizes higher uptake of CO2 in the soils, more resilience based on biodiversity, a sound balance between animal and plant production and consumption, safeguarded by EU regulation that prohibits cherry-picking greenwashing. But we have to be modest, more is needed, like transformation of existing food diets, reduction of energy and water use, transition to more regional production and reduction of damaging packaging’.
What is OPTA gonig to do
OPTA will create a platform on its website to show the best-practices of its members, where they take initiatives to improve and reduce their climate footprint. Furthermore, OPTA will start a library of scientific publications with the clear aim to raise awareness about the impact of agriculture, food production and consumption patterns to our climate and the other environmental aspects.
- Read the OPTA Europe Manifest for Organic Climate Action
Consider becoming a member of OPTA, the Organic Processing and Trade Association.
Subscribe at our Newsletter and be up to date with the latest news from the Organic Sector
Bio Eco Actual, International Organic Newspaper
Read Bio Eco Actual
[…] Bio Eco Actual – January 5, 2022 .td-post-sharing-classic { position: relative; height: 20px; } […]