There is a strong relationship between climate protection, climate adaptation, food security and the production of renewable raw materials, including wood. Agriculture and forestry are affected by climate change, and they are also part of the solution. The production of food and renewable raw materials with the absolute absence of environmental encumbrances is impossible. However, the goal is to reduce emissions wherever possible. The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), for example, funds research projects on this topic.

Forestry and forestry

Forestry and forestry, as well as the use of wood in durable products, sequester carbon dioxide (CO2), affecting the climate. The special importance of forests and sustainable forestry for climate protection stems from the magnitude of the potential for minimizing waste. The annual contribution of German forestry and wood processing companies to the reduction of greenhouse gases alone currently averages 127 million tonnes ofCO2 equivalent. Without this contribution, Germany's total emissions would have been 2014 percent higher than in 14.

Forests store carbon – and this positive impact on the climate is higher in a balanced forest. Another positive point is the use of harvested wood in the field of recycling and energy. Thanks to this, additional carbon is accumulated, and emissions into the atmosphere are reduced. After all, the processing and burning of wood is more environmentally friendly in comparison with other products.

Soil

Equally important is the contribution of agricultural land use to climate protection. In order to be able to accurately assess this impact, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) commissioned for the first time to carry out an inventory of organic carbon stocks in agricultural soils throughout Germany. This survey of soil conditions in agriculture was carried out by the Federal Thünen Institute. Based on the results of these studies, soil is the second largest carbon store after the oceans. More than two billion tonnes of carbon are found in Germany's agricultural soils.

However, soil is also a source of emissions, for example, when meadows and pastures are converted to arable land or when drained peatlands are used for agricultural purposes, which can lead to the decomposition of peat.

Wasteful attitude towards food

Our consumer behavior also determines the amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted by agriculture and the food industry. Food production requires the use of valuable resources such as soil, water, energy, fuel, and labor, and is associated with the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Too much food continues to end up in landfill. Food waste is generated at every link in the production chain and in Germany it amounts to about eleven million tons per year.

By January 2030, BMEL intends to halve food waste. To this end, in February 2019, the German government cabinet adopted the National Strategy for the Reduction of Food Waste. According to experts from the scientific committees on nutrition, agricultural and forestry policy at BMEL, if food waste is halved in Germany, there will be six million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in CO2 equivalent. With its initiative "Zu gut für die Tonne" ("Too valuable to throw away"), BMEL focuses on wasteful food handling and provides advice on how to avoid it.

Renewable raw materials from agriculture

The energy use of renewable raw materials from agriculture in the form of biofuels or biogas replaces fossil fuels. Avoided emissions from the use of fossil energy are countered by emissions from the production of biological energy carriers. By using bioenergy from renewable raw materials produced in agriculture, taking into account emissions from the production of bioenergy carriers, more than 15 million tons of carbon dioxide in net weight are saved annually in Germany.
For a protective impact on the climate, it is important to ensure renewable low-emission production of energy plants. In particular, the use of bioenergy should avoid increasing emissions to the atmosphere as a result of land-use changes, such as the conversion of grasslands to arable land or the uprooting of tropical forests.

Climate protection goals and measures of the federal government

The climate protection goals of the German Federal Government are enshrined in the Climate Protection Plan 2050. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has developed a package of measures to ensure that climate protection targets are met.

These climate protection measures include, inter alia, the following:

Reduction of excess nitrogen fertilizer and atmospheric nitrogen emissions, including reduction of ammonia emissions and targeted reduction of nitrous oxide emissions
Energy use of organic fertilizers of animal origin and agricultural waste in biogas plants
reduction of atmospheric emissions in animal husbandry
Expansion of the area under organic agriculture
Improving energy efficiency in agriculture and horticulture
increase in humus content on arable land
Conservation of grasslands
protection of wetlands, including reducing the use of peat in cultural substrates
conservation and sustainable management of forest lands and the use of wood
10. Food Waste Prevention

In the development of these measures, the following principles were decisive:

No restriction on production and no competitive infringement of interests for agriculture and forestry in Germany.
Harnessing the synergy of climate protection and adaptation to climate change, as well as the efficient use of resources.
Linking to already established processes (German Strategy for Sustainable Development, Strategy for the Development of Agriculture, Protection of the Air Basin from Pollution, Charter on Wood Turnover 2.0).
Digital technologies and precision agriculture will help reduce emissions.
The concept envisages a reduction in annual emissions from agriculture by 11 to 14 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 compared to 2014. The key points of climate protection efforts in agriculture are, on the one hand, to reduce emissions and, on the other, to use resources efficiently, and therefore to produce more sustainably.