Rural Development Administration hosts greenhouse gas emissions reduction forum

National Institute of Agricultural Science researcher Jeong Hyun-cheol delivers a presentation during a forum attended by government officials of Korea and Latin American countries at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Cali, Colombia June 5. Courtesy of Rural Development Administration

By Lee Kyung-min

The Rural Development Administration (RDA) jointly organized a two-day forum on greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the agricultural sector with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) of Colombia, the agriculture ministry-affiliated organization said Tuesday. CIAT is a nonprofit research institution under the Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), which emphasizes scientific research and development to address agricultural issues in tropical regions.

The forum was held in Cali, Colombia from June 5 to 6. The event focused on addressing emissions reduction in the agricultural sector of various Latin American countries.

This forum explored sustainable approaches to emissions reduction as well as fostering agricultural technology cooperation between Korea and Latin America.

On the first day of the forum, which brought together 60 greenhouse researchers and officials from six Latin American countries, the agenda focused on discussing the current status of greenhouse gas emissions by each country.

Participants shared policies, long-term strategies and ongoing research related to reducing emissions in Latin America.

Jeong Hyun-cheol, a researcher at the National Institute of Agricultural Science, delivered a presentation on the current status of related research in the Korean agricultural sector. He introduced Korea's reduction policies, efforts and mitigation technologies.

On the second day, initiatives based in Latin America were presented, such as transitioning to climate-resilient agricultural production and research on improving food systems to reduce greenhouse emissions in developing countries.

The RDA also promotes the Korea-Latin America Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KoLFACI), a multilateral cooperative body under the RDA, which aims to address agricultural challenges in Latin America through joint projects. Its goals are to ensure food security and bridging the technological gap.

As part of this initiative, a research project titled “Research on the optimal cultivation methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Latin America” is being conducted with the participation of five countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and Colombia.