IT'S a common agricultural argument the world over – farmers can be part of the climate change solution, if only the international rules would let them.
A month out from the United Nations climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark's farm lobby is turning up the heat on world leaders to get a more modern, comprehensive deal on agriculture which acknowledges the efforts the farm sector can, or is already, making in the area of reducing greenhouse emissions.
Danish Food and Agriculture Council chairman, Michael Brockenhuus-Schack, says while there are still some who see agriculture as part of the climate change problem, in fact, it was a major part of the solution, especially in the area of generating new forms of renewable energy.
"If you look into the goals that we have to meet on energy and climate, then in our opinion you cannot meet these goals without what agriculture can deliver on this matter," Mr Brockenhuus-Schack said.
"We have a strong track record if you look at greenhouse gasses, because we have seen significant reductions in our sector and the very interesting bit about that is we've been able to provide these reductions without reducing our production.
"Increasing efficiency has made it possible for us to deliver this.
"There are synergies from looking at the climate issue together with the sustainable energy issue as well as the nature and environment issue.
"Our position is that if you can do this in an intelligent way and you can actually do it in a more cost efficient way…
"One example could be biogas – there it helps on climate, it helps on sustainable energy and it also has positive impacts on the directive from the EU on protection of our waterways – there are a lot of possibilities if you try to deal with this in an intelligent way.
"There also need to be new possibilities for us – we can produce food and feed but we can also produce biomass for energy.
"We've come very far in Denmark using biomass for the heating of power plants and providing sustainable energy –a very large amount of sustainable energy provided by biogas already…
"But it's very important that we get acknowledged for the contribution that we've already made in this area."
Mr Brockenhuus-Schack said the Danish lobby was working closely with the international organisation for farmers, IFAP (International Federation of Agricultural Producers) and trying to co-operate with farmers throughout the world, not just at an EU level, to wield more influence by standing together on the need for a new agricultural deal.
"It's important that if farmers are to be major contributors to these efforts, as we are here in Denmark - particularly in the area of sustainable energy - then you cannot take that contribution for granted and then come up with very very strict reductions on greenhouse gas emissions.
"If we are producing the biomass, for example, that is used in the energy sector, then you have to accept that this limits how we can reduce emissions in the livestock sector – at the moment it is agriculture that is delivering a lot of the energy benefits, but the energy sector that is being recognised."
He said under the current rules agriculture that then has have to do even more to realise more reductions, and something he and his organisation is determined to change.
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