With the world population expected to reach around 9 billion by 2050 and the effects of climate change already being felt, we are faced with three major challenges: food security, climate change adaptation, and its limitations. These three challenges are the main focus of Climate-Smart Agriculture, a subject which is attracting 600 participants and close to 50 key-note speakers in Montpellier.

According to organisors, Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) aims to encourage and support farmers, countries and other stakeholders in the implementation of policies that:

• sustainably increase agricultural productivity and incomes in order to achieve food security and development objectives;
• strengthen the resilience and adaptation of agriculture and food systems to climate change;
• reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and increase carbon uptake.

The Montpellier conference is an important step towards the Conference of the Parties that will take place in Paris in December 2015.

Climate-smart agriculture is also a subject of major importance for Horizon 2020. The European Commission organised a workshop precisely dedicated to this subject on 10-11 February 2015. 65 experts worked collaboratively for two days on defining research priorities in this field.

Speaking in the opening session, Mihail Dumitru, Deputy Director General at European Commission's DG AGRI, promoted the EU framework programme for research and innovation: 'Horizon H2020 will greatly contribute to develop a knowledge-based response to increase climate change adaption and mitigation while ensuring global food security'. The outcomes of the conference will serve as an important input in European Commission thinking for the future.

News on this event can be followed on the conference website and on Twitter using #CSA15.