Farmers use annual day to push negotiators at COP17

The third annual Agriculture and Rural Development Day opened on Saturday on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Organized by the Southern African Conference of Agricultural Union (SACAU), the event is aimed to inspire both high-level commitments from negotiators and grassroots action. "Agriculture offers both challenge and opportunities in the climate change agenda. If we are to take advantage of its potential to reduce poverty, increase food security and support mitigation strategies, then we need to become climate smart," SACAU CEO Ishmael Sunga told Xinhua. Agriculture and Rural Development Day is a major one-day event that brings together several hundred policy makers, farmers, scientists and development experts to discuss the urgent need for rural people in developing countries to play a greater role and receive stronger support in climate change adaptation and mitigation. Organized by a consortium of major actors in agriculture and rural development, the event is being held in parallel with the COP17. About 500 participants including farmers, rural development practitioners, policymakers and negotiators, civil society and the agriculture and climate change scientific community are already gathering to share and exchange ideas. The programme includes learning events and exhibits promoting innovative strategies being implemented across the continent. "Although Climate change will bring many new challenges, with the necessary support African farmers can use this as an opportunity to transform to a new, more efficient way of farming," said Sunga.