Brits and Brazilians compare notes on agriculture and climate change

The CLA today (23 February) played host to a Brazilian delegation of senior officials and scientists visiting the UK to discuss sustainable agriculture.

Senior advisers at the CLA compared notes with the Brazilian experts on how land management can contribute to climate stability by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from farming and storing carbon in forests.

CLA Director of Policy Professor Allan Buckwell said: Brazil is a key player in helping to mitigate climate change. We are flattered that the delegation chose to learn about sustainable agriculture from a UK land managers perspective and about the CLAs work in generating business opportunities by reducing GHG emissions.

We can learn a lot from the Brazilians. Their Climate Change Plan is very ambitious, aiming to reduce emissions by 166 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The UK target is a mere three million tonnes

They put great importance on research, development and extension, ensuring that economic incentives are right for farmers.  Their mitigation depends hugely on reducing deforestation and pasture degradation and moving to no-til farming. All of this makes Brazilian agriculture an even more ferocious competitor and why we in the UK take them so seriously.

CLA Head of Environment Derek Holliday said: The difference in scale between British and Brazilian agriculture is huge but there is a big opportunity to learn from each other and share best practice and new technology.  The delegation was enthusiastic and keen to learn more about how the CLA developed the Carbon Accounting for Land Managers (CALM) calculator, designed to measure GHG emissions and carbon sequestration from agriculture.

Professor Hilton Silveira Pinto, Head of the Institute for Responsible Agribusiness said: Our plan for Brazilian agriculture must succeed if we are to rectify Brazils current reputation as a big emitter of greenhouse gases.

• The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has around 35,000 members.
• As a membership organisation, the CLA supports landowners by advising them on how best to protect and maximise their asset: the land. We are dedicated to supporting landowners and their businesses. Our success is measured by how effectively we do that. We have a team of experts in London and a regional structure able to give local support.
• We have been looking after the interests of our members, as well as promoting the positive aspects of land ownership, land management and rural business activities for the past 100 years. CLA members own or manage approximately half the rural land in England and Wales, and the resulting expertise puts us in a unique position to formulate policies and lobby effectively.