05/21/2023
The program will present evidence on climate change, its impacts and consequences — and the opportunities and challenges for the sector in this scenario
Tiago Cordeiro
On the one hand, Insper’s Center for Global Agribusiness, dedicated to analyzing the major vectors of transformation and the dynamics of Brazil’s insertion in world agribusiness, considering relevant and complementary themes such as international trade, geopolitics, health, food safety, environment, bioenergy, and logistics.
On the other, New York’s Columbia Climate School (CCS), Columbia University’s transdisciplinary school of climate studies, which covers the most relevant and up-to-date data and analysis of climate and social sciences.
This partnership resulted in the formation of a new Insper course, Agro and Environment: Global Climate Challenge and Sustainable Agrifood Systems. “We’ve combined Columbia University’s conceptual excellence in climate issues with Insper’s multidisciplinary approach with the purpose of informing, based on scientific evidence, Brazilian agro-leaders about climate change,” says Camila Dias de Sá, senior researcher at Insper’s Center for Global Agribusiness and course coordinator.
The core proposal of the new course is to offer an objective view on the global climate reality and the Brazilian agro-environmental challenges, in line with a strategic vision on the role of competitive and sustainable agro-food systems. And, also, to present elements that contribute to the construction of a global relevance in mitigation and adaptation to climate change, without losing the already consolidated role of the country as an important player in the area of forests, agriculture, livestock and renewable energy.
The program is intended for people interested in understanding the challenges present at the interface between agricultural production, food security and the climate agenda, as well as sustainability and ESG professionals from companies and financial institutions and public administrators concerned with the formulation of public policies in the agro-environmental area. It is also aimed at professionals working in the third sector, the media, sector associations or agricultural cooperatives, and rural producers who work directly with the theme or are interested in deepening their knowledge.
The course intends to prepare participants to better understand the agro-environmental nexus, recognizing the pillars of climate science and the fundamentals of mitigation and adaptation. It will also cover the international commitments and agreements that govern the global agenda on climate change, the path of Brazilian agribusiness, and the challenges and opportunities to reconcile agricultural production with the confrontation of the climate change phenomenon. At the end, participants will be better prepared to analyze mitigation and adaptation policies and strategies in the context of their business or area of operation.
“There is still a certain reactivity, in agriculture, to the issue of global warming, as well as a certain resistance from the sectors linked to environmental agendas to recognize the potential of agricultural production in tropical lands. We want to bring these two sectors closer together, impacting environmentalists and raising awareness in agriculture based on scientific evidence,” explains Camila Dias de Sá.
The program, of medium duration, will be held in the second semester with classes distributed in two modules, the first online and the second in person. The course will include group work to reinforce interaction and networking among the participants. There will also be group discussions among participants and debates led by experts.
The major themes covered in the classes will be: principles of climate science, the global climate environment, Brazilian agriculture and cattle raising and the climate challenge, and policies and strategies for sustainability in Brazil.
Together, they will be able to provide reflections and proposals for actions for one of the most relevant themes. After all, about 75% of Brazilian greenhouse gas emissions come from agricultural production and changes in land use and forests. At the same time, this is also one of the economic sectors most impacted by climate change, so that the agenda of mitigating emissions and adapting to global warming is strategic and essential to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector in the long term, so that it can successfully fulfill its core function: ensuring food security at a time of crisis in the supply chains.
“The sector has the potential to reconcile agricultural production with environmental preservation, contributing significantly to the reduction of emissions, the guarantee of food security, and the supply of clean energy,” analyzes the Insper Agro Global researcher and course coordinator.
