Media Advisory - CFA attends UN climate conference in Copenhagen

December 8, 2009 - The Canadian Federation of Agriculture will be attending the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen from December 10-16, 2009.

On December 7, the UN climate change conference opened with diplomats from 192 nations. The culmination of two years of negotiations, the conference convened amid signs of breakthroughs with new commitments from The United States, China and India to control greenhouse gas emissions. The first week of the conference will focus on refining a complex text of a draft treaty. Approximately 110 heads of state and government will attend the final days of the two-week conference.

Farmers will be well represented by Don McCabe, a corn and soybean farmer in Ontario and also CFA's environment and science co-chair, President of the Soil Conservation Council and Vice-President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. The CFA will work with government negotiators and attend meetings coinciding with the United Nations Climate Negotiations focused on providing agricultural solutions in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change. Specifically, the meetings will focus on a number of key agricultural issues, including: 

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations event on agriculture and food security on December 10th. Both Ajay Vashee, President of International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) and Kofi Annan will be in attendance.
• Rural development and agriculture event hosted by the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Union on December 11th 
• Agricultural and Rural Development Day will be held on December 12th with a focus on "The road after Copenhagen: priority strategies and actions for ensuring food security and rural development in the face of climate change". The event will highlight the importance of agriculture in climate change and develop a work plan with strategies and actions to fully incorporate agriculture into the post-Copenhagen agenda.
• IFAP will host an event on conclusions from Agricultural Day on December 14th.
• On December 16, the Danish Agriculture and Food Council hosts an event entitled "A vision for the biobased society"- and how agriculture can deliver solutions for the entire society through biomass production.

WHAT: 
15th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) 

WHEN:
Monday, December 7th to Friday December 18th, 2009

WHERE:
Bella Center
Copenhagen, Denmark