IRD, Inra and Cirad have joined forces for the ‘4 per thousand’ scientific initiative launched by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), as part of the Lima-Paris Action Agenda. The goal of this initiative is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, and it is a promising avenue for research. It also contributes to food safety and to the security of agricultural jobs.
The project was announced by the French Ministry of Agriculture during COP21 and will assess and identify the most appropriate cultural practices for mitigation and adaptation, and for sustainable development issues to the benefit of farmers’ well-being.
A first meeting bringing together all members of the ‘4 per thousand’ initiative will lay down the governance rules and clarify the principles shared by all the projects’ backers. It will be held in close liaison with the Moroccan ministry for agriculture in the run-up to COP22.
The ‘4 per thousand’ initiative will thus strive to become a collaborative platform involving different agricultural stakeholders in practical projects. It will also carry out fund-raising work and attempt to establish a virtual expertise hub that will promote the outcomes of the international research and scientific cooperation programme.