National Farmers Union President Rob Larew speaks on panel at COP26

GLASGOW, Scotland — National Farmers Union President Rob Larew joined a panel discussion at COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to discuss the future of climate-smart agriculture.

The panel, moderated by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, included farm and ranch, environmental, and private industry representation.

During the discussion, Larew highlighted the important role farmers and ranchers play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while building resilience on their farms.

“It is essential that family farmers and ranchers have a strong voice in discussions about climate solutions,” he said. “Climate change threatens farmer livelihoods, rural communities and the entire food system. Agriculture is also uniquely positioned to combat climate change while building resilience to weather extremes if armed with the right tools and resources.”

In support of the central goal of COP26 — to tackle the climate crisis — NFU submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s forthcoming Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program.

The program is expected to create new market opportunities for climate-smart agricultural products, improving the profitability and resilience of farmers and ranchers.

“We are hopeful that USDA’s new program will play a pivotal role in helping farmers adapt to evolving conditions, while also incentivizing practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon in the soil,” Larew said.

“This program must build upon the important work farmers and ranchers are already doing to address climate change on their farms, while also promoting fair and competitive climate-smart agricultural markets.”