The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said developing economies should enhance the resilience of their agricultural sectors to withstand the impacts of climate shocks and implement climate change interventions that strike a balance between mitigation efforts and agricultural production.
NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan highlighted during the 2023 Asia Pacific Agricultural Policy Roundtable held last April 24 the importance of weighing other important socioeconomic objectives, even as an economy pursues the goal of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions for the promotion of sustainable rural development.
“Given the complexity and context-specific nature of the trade-offs and synergies between climate change mitigation and agricultural production, we must consider food security, rural livelihoods and economic development in identifying and implementing mitigation strategies,” Balisacan said.
He contextualized the reluctance to reduce emissions in the agricultural sector, which involves substantial investments and a trade-off with pressing development priorities such as agricultural production.
Balisacan maintains a positive outlook and provides examples of possible synergies between mitigation measures and interventions that raise agricultural productivity. – Angela Celis
