Climate Change Concerns and the Role of Research and Innovation in the Agricultural Sector: The European Union Context

Climate change poses a challenging and distinct problem for agriculture as it is a sector especially vulnerable because it depends heavily on weather and climate. On the other hand, a considerable portion of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are caused by agriculture itself, both directly and indirectly. Since climate change impacts every region, Development Goal 13 for Climate Change, endorsed by the EU28 and all other UN members in 2015, calls for “urgent action to tackle climate change and its impacts” within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Responding to the above conditions, the European Union (EU), in the context of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is into effect in 2023, aims to foster an agricultural sector that is competitive, resilient, and climate-neutral. The challenges of dealing with the agricultural sector and climate change will be addressed in this chapter, along with the efforts to achieve global climate goals. Finally, the role of research and innovation (R&I) in achieving the above goals and the opportunities and threats involved in the global and the EU context will be addressed.