In the letter, it says that “although modern agriculture is one of the major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, it doesn’t have to be that way. When we farm with nature, we draw down greenhouse gases, including CO2, and keep them there. More than that, regenerative practices ensure that carbon plays a crucial role in building healthy soil, which in turn holds and filtrates more water, reducing flooding and drought, and putting essential nutrients back into our food supply.” Transitioning the global agricultural system to regenerative practices can sequester on average 2.3 tons of CO2 per hectare.
For the health of people and the planet and for good business, the signatories request that the following topics be included in the COP26 discussions:
- The reformation of misaligned agricultural policies that encourage unsustainable intensification and the overuse of natural resources. Quality of food should be rewarded as well as quantity.
- A way to reward farmers for the ecosystem services they provide by implementing regenerative practices on their land. These services include carbon sequestration, water security, biodiversity, and nutrient-dense food. The rewards should be based on the tangible positive outcomes of regenerative practices.
- How to account for the costs of environmental degradation resulting from food production and reflecting it in food prices.
- The creation of a shared understanding and commonly accepted definition of regenerative farming and the core practices it encompasses.
Triodos Bank vision paper on food and agriculture
In its vision document Towards ecologically and socially resilient food and agriculture systemsTriodos Bank calls for a complete change in the way food is produced, traded and consumed in order to provide food to the growing world population without severely damaging our planet, people’s health and social equality. Governments, companies (including the financial sector), science and consumers need to work together to achieve this.