Agriculture and climate change: A background report by CIPRA

Within the project “cc.alps – climate change: thinking one step further!” the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) investigates climate response measures in the Alps. CIPRA compiles information on climate protection activities and adjustments to climate change in the Alps (hereinafter referred to as climate response measures) and analyses the impacts of these climate measures on the environment, economy and society. CIPRA‘s aim is to make climate response measures comply with the principles of sustainable development, to make these information accessible to a broader public, and to warn the public of those measures that have negative effects on nature, the environment, social cohesion and the economy.

The “CIPRA compact” series comprises several thematic publications that take a critical look at climate measures in the Alps. The series covers the following activities in addition to the subject of “agriculture”: energy, constructing and refurbishing, energy self sufficient regions, spatial planning, transport, tourism, natural hazards, nature protection, forestry and water.

The present compact “agriculture in climate change” is dealing with climate change response measures taken or suggested for the agricultural sector in the Alps. The compact is structured as follows: Section 2 exposes statements given by CIPRA. Section 3 is the main body dealing with agriculture and climate change in the Alps. Subsections are on the characteristics of Alpine agriculture (3.1), the contribution of the agricultural sector to climate change (3.2), the impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector (3.3), and climate response measures in the agricultural sector. These are discussed with respect to adaptation (3.4.1), mitigation (3.4.2), organic agriculture (3.4.3), bioenergy (3.4.4), and consumer behavior with respect to food demand (3.4.5). Conclusions are given in section 4, good practice examples are presented in section 5.