Climate change directly affects food production and food security. In order to address these new challenges, the round table on organic agriculture and climate change was established at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on December 16, 2009.

Urs Niggli, the person in charge of FiBL and also a member of the round table, said: "Because organic agriculture has a high carbon sequestration rate in the soil, and because organic agriculture avoids the use of chemical fertilizers and maximizes the use of organic substances, greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced. Therefore, organic agriculture has great potential in mitigating climate change."

The Round Table on Organic Agriculture and Climate Change (RTOACC) was initiated by eight stakeholders. It brings together stakeholders and partners in the organic food production chain. The main objectives of the round table are:

Initiate, support and promote organic agriculture research and climate change;

Recommends to the international community on organic agriculture and climate change;

Develop a measurement method to achieve the quantification and certification of reliable organic agricultural carbon sequestration.

To achieve these goals, members agreed on an action plan for 2010 and 2011. The main activity in 2010 will be to develop a carbon market that complies with international practices, such as safeguarding the interests of small farmers in developing countries. The International Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL will coordinate these activities.

Antonio Compagnoni of ICEA believes that the establishment of the round table is not only the beginning of the negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol of the follow-up agreement, but also the result of the efforts of the global organic community to promote organic agriculture to lead the sustainable agricultural system.