The NZAGRC’s Deputy Director (International), Dr Andy Reisinger, has been invited to join an international scientific advisory panel that aims to address sustainable agriculture, food security and the impacts of climate change.
Dr Reisinger has been asked by the governing board of the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI) to become a member of its prestigious scientific advisory group.
The FACCE-JPI provides and guides research to support sustainable agricultural production and economic growth while maintaining and restoring ecosystem services under current and future climate change. The focus of FACCE-JPI is on Europe, but it is seeking to strengthen links with non-European members and production systems. New Zealand currently is the only associate member country from the southern hemisphere.
The Scientific Advisory Board members are selected on the basis of stringent criteria, including having an outstanding academic record, having international visibility and reputation, scientific expertise and foresight, and having a broad vision of the challenges facing agriculture, food security and climate change.
“It is a real honour to serve on the FACCE-JPI Scientific Advisory Board. This will allow me to help foster innovation and collaboration across major agricultural research organisations in Europe and globally, and to ensure that the experiences of New Zealand farming systems are recognized in such discussions.” 
Dr Reisinger has previously worked for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the UK and India, and is currently one of the 34 members globally of the IPCC Bureau – he recently returned from the IPCC’s latest session in Montreal where the outline for the IPCC’s sixth Assessment Report was agreed. 
“Climate change remains an emotionally and politically loaded topic, even as its reality and urgency is sinking in around the world. The IPCC seeks to provide independent and robust scientific advice on what we can do about it, without assuming that there is a single answer. Agriculture will play a significant role in several reports being produced by the IPCC over the next two years. Strengthening our science connections globally means the challenges and opportunities for New Zealand’s agriculture are more likely to be recognised within IPCC reports.” 
Dr Reisinger says that his involvement in those international organisations will also help strengthen New Zealand’s science contribution to the Global Research Alliance (GRA) and NZAGRC’s input into the GRA’s Livestock Research Group. 
“More and more countries are formulating ambitious plans to reduce emissions associated with food production, but they don’t necessarily have the technical capacity to achieve this. The GRA helps countries improve emission estimates and identify ways to reduce emissions without jeopardising food security and other development goals. Collaboration is at the heart of this. Through our multiple connections, the NZAGRC promotes global research that draws on New Zealand’s strengths and in turn benefits New Zealand.”
The Scientific Advisory Board of the FACCE JPI is meeting 19/20 October in Aberdeen. The meeting coincides with the first lead author meeting for the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land in Oslo, Norway, from 16-20 October. Dr Reisinger will attend the IPCC meeting in person and the FACCE-JPI meeting remotely.