Part 2: Food + Carbon + COP 21 + YOU!

The question– how do we go about implementing better expansion policies and encouraging less deforestation while allowing countries to grow economically?

With COP 21 currently in process this issue has never been more important. On Friday 4th I took part in a COP 21 workshop where by representing different country groups we tried to reach the 2^OC threshold by committing to certain timescales and rates regarding reductions in CO₂ emissions, specifying levels of deforestation and afforestation, pledging certain financial help / requests, and accepting growth of regions. To hold global temperatures at 2^OC above pre-industrial levels is pretty much impossible! I didn't realise just how difficult it is to meet this target. We managed to reach 2.7 ^OC , which would still see a lot of adverse effects, but to even hold it at this temperature requires a lot of commitment and action now.

REDD+

One international method for trying to preserve carbon stocks is REDD+ : Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation which offers developing countries a financial incentive encouraging:

1) Reductions in emissions from deforestation
2) Reductions in emissions from forest degradation
3) Conservation of forest carbon stocks
4) Sustainable management of forests
5) Enhancement of forest carbon stocks

This is in theory could work as large amounts of deforestation that we see occurring in developing countries for agriculture is done for the short-term gains in poverty alleviation, but lead to longer term environmental problems for the local people. Offering financial incentives means local populations benefit when they preserve carbon stocks. However, the question is whether these financial incentives are enough.

Cambodia. Source: Alice Fitch

In Cambodia, the profitably of REDD+ management can be larger that other land uses depending on carbon prices.

Whereas in Sumatra Indonesia, it would be more profitable to convert 10,000 hectares to palm oil production (which would emit 5.46 millions tons of CO2), than leave it undisturbed making it eligible for carbon credits from the REDD+ program

A worry that springs to my mind as soon as I heard financial incentives was corruption, and this is an issue but as long as it is recognised there are way to deal with it. Arwida et al., (2015) reviewed the effectiveness of a number anti-corruption methods for REDD+ schemes in Indonesia, and it provides an interesting read covering the impact of different methods. 

It seems that REDD+ schemes have the potential to be good but still have a long way to go. In my opinion schemes like this are needed as many people in developing countries can't afford not view forests in terms of monetray value....

Moratoriums

Voluntary moratoriums are something that can have a big impact, by voluntary I really mean agreeing due to pressure from NGOs and retailers. One such example is the soy moratorium in Brazil where soya-bean traders agreed not to purchase soy grown in the Amazon on land deforested after July 2006, creating a zero-deforestation supply chain. And look at the results:

Source Gibbs et al., 2015. Green bars show percentage of soy expansion into rainforest, peach bars percentage of soy expansion into previously cleared areas and the blue line is the soy expansion in hectares; each grid line is 100 hectares. 

Deforestation for soy planting has dramatically reduced! The reasons why this moratorium has been so effective over plain law enforcement and management methods is due to :

- there being only a small number of soy buyers which tightens the market control

- the requirements for compliance are very simple: basically no deforestation

- the Soy Moratorium had clear monitoring and enforcement systems in place

- combined efforts of government in wanted to reduce deforestation and NGO participation.

From this we can see how public pressure can drive the implementation of moratoriums! Yet they are not always this effective; the 2011 moratorium on palm-oil in Indonesia is one such case. The reasons for it not working in Indonesia are:

- conversion through deforestation is still occurring on already licensed land 

- there appear to be loopholes in the moratorium that can be exploited

- planting on already degraded land is not being consider

- clearing of forests by fire is being financed by palm-oil investors

- not enough enforcement.

You

REDD+ and moratoriums are two ways in which better expansion policies and less deforestation can be implemented while still allowing economic growth.

But one thing I got thinking about during the workshop was that we were stating percentages about reducing a regions carbon emissions but how can we in the UK on an individual level achieve this when we can't avoid aspects like needing to use a car.

I was a bit disheartened but then after some research can see how we can have a difference, especially as a consumer! Some of the things we can do regarding food and carbon are:

- Buy products that are made with certified Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) lets try and improve this problem!

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/karlaquintanilla
/6936591258

- When you can afford it, buy organic. In certain situations it is difficult to buy everything organic, being a student I can't afford to, so just focus on one thing. Ranking first is meat – if you can buy organic meat do so for ethical and carbon reasons!

- Buy local produce and food in season– the longer food has had to travel the larger the carbon footprint. Food from the EU will have a lower carbon footprint that food from Brazil.

- Eat less meat - Chloe has done a great couple posts on the impact of meat production in her blog. Well worth a read.

- Don't waste food and pop uneaten / old food in food recycle bin! When food is placed in landfills it produces a heck of a lot of methane. See the video on this page about what happens to waste chicken in landfill!

- Take a re-usable coffee mug with you - you can even get money off your coffee/tea!

- Plant trees in your garden, or even grow in pots! Lets take some of that CO2 out of the atmosphere

Lastly if you are interested in more about what each country has said for COP 21 that they intend to do to stop the rise in global temperatures, Climate Action Tracker is really good: