While highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, food systems are estimated to up to almost one third of total greenhouse gas emissions, with more than half from on-farm activities. To keep a strong focus on the need to reduce agrifood systems emissions, in this event speakers examined how to reduce methane emissions from livestock production, nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer application, and carbon dioxide emissions from ammonia production.  
 
Aditi Mukherji, Director of the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Impact Action Platform at CGIAR, and Tek Sakpota, Senior Scientist in Agricultural Systems/Climate Change at CIMMYT, presented key findings from CGIAR’s 2024 “Breakthrough Report on Agriculture.” Professor David Kanter shared insights from the recently released “Global Assessment of N2O Emissions,” emphasizing that transformative action could reduce emissions by over 40% and possibly reach 60% by the end of the century. This optimistic projection, however, was tempered by the realities of the challenge at hand. As Aditi Mukherji explained, "The challenge is the high dependence of some of the poorest people in agriculture for their livelihoods. So, emission reduction can actually lead to compromises on livelihoods and food and nutrition security." 
 
The discussion also turned to how these findings could be scaled through effective policies, financial frameworks, and collaborative solutions. Kubota Osamu ,Deputy Assistant Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Japan voiced a sense of optimism, expressing, "My personal opinion on this question is that it is within reach. We are actively invested in policies and measures for achieving this goal." Meanwhile, panelists stressed the importance of finding tailored solutions for different regions, with Brian Lindsay, Director Dairy Sustainability Framework emphasizing, "It's about finding the right solutions for those different regions... and giving them the confidence to change." 
 
Key takeaways  
- Achieving net zero emissions in agriculture is possible but requires context-specific, integrated solutions.
- Technological innovations like feed additives, green ammonia, and precision nutrient management hold promise, but barriers to adoption need to be addressed

- Government support, financing, and de-risking are crucial to enable farmers, especially smallholders, to transition to more sustainable practices

- A systems-based approach, considering impacts across the entire agri-food system, is necessary to avoid unintended consequences. 

- Collaboration and knowledge-sharing across stakeholders, from local communities to global institutions, will be key to scaling up successful solutions