Council of the
European Union
Brussels, 9 July 2015
(OR. en, fr)
10709/15
AGRI 386
CLIMA 78
ENV 474
NOTE
From:
To:
General Secretariat of the Council
Council
Subject:
4 per 1000 : Soils for food security and climate
Delegations will find attached an information note from the French delegation on the above
mentioned subject to be dealt with under "Any other business" at the meeting of the Council
(Agriculture and Fisheries) on 13 July 2015.
10709/15
wer/JL/ck
DGB 1B
1
EN
ANNEX
'Any other business' item to be presented by the French delegation at the Agriculture and
Fisheries Council on 13 July 2015
The 'Four parts per thousand: soils for food security and the climate' initiative
At the Council meeting on 13 July 2015, France would like to present an item, under 'any other
business', on the initiative entitled 'Four parts per thousand: soils for food security and the climate'
which it hopes to launch at the COP 21 meeting in Paris in December.
Background
The climate issues to be addressed at the COP 21 meeting in Paris at the end of the year have taken
on ever more importance. France believes that agriculture should not be seen as a problem; instead,
it can – and should – be part of the solution. The search for a solution should take full account of the
productive aspects of agricultural activity and the decisive role it plays in food security. It is thus
imperative to find options that combine both food security and a response to climate issues in terms
of mitigation and adaptation.
Boosting carbon storage in agricultural soils offers a powerful tool for that purpose, and it is
important that we use it.
The amount of carbon stored in the soil worldwide is twice that contained in the air. If that amount
were increased by four parts per thousand each year, a quantity equalling the annual total of
anthropogenic CO2 emissions could be absorbed and stored. Increasing soil carbon sequestration on
agricultural land would thus be highly beneficial for the climate.
At the same time, increasing soil carbon sequestration would improve soil quality and land
productivity, and would help fight erosion and adapt to climate disruption. The increase would thus
contribute significantly to food security.
10709/15
ANNEX
wer/JL/ck
DGB 1B
2
EN
Practical solutions exist for the storage of carbon in agricultural soils. For example, year-round soil
cover can be ensured in order to maximise the production of biomass, diversified cropping systems
can be implemented, the use of organic products can be encouraged – and there is the possibility of
developing agroforestry.
The 'Four parts per thousand: soils for food security and the climate' initiative
At the COP 21, France intends to launch an international initiative for food security and the climate,
based on joint action to support carbon storage on agricultural land. The initiative, to be integrated
into the Lima-Paris Action Agenda, would have two dimensions: the establishment of an
international research programme, and an action plan to encourage practices beneficial to soil
restoration and carbon storage on agricultural land.
Several events in the months ahead will provide opportunities to define this initiative in more detail.
In particular, the OECD is to host a conference on 15 September on how agriculture and
agricultural soils can meet the challenges of climate change and food security. In addition, there are
plans to hold an event on food security and climate change, jointly organised by the FAO, France
and Morocco, in parallel with the Committee on World Food Security meeting in Rome from 12 to
15 October.
The 'Four parts per thousand: soils for food security and the climate' initiative will form part of the
Agenda of Solutions for the COP 21 in Paris in December. At the COP 21, a large number of States,
international organisations, NGOs and businesses could launch the initiative by signing a joint
declaration. France hopes to win the support of the Member States of the EU and the Commission
in this course of action. We will be able to draft the declaration and work on it together in the
coming months.
10709/15
ANNEX
wer/JL/ck
DGB 1B
3
EN