Agriculture in developing countries has attracted increasing attention in international negotiations within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for both adaptation to climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation (Beddington et al. 2012). Developing countries are concerned about the significant challenges associated with adapting their production systems for more extreme weather conditions and longer-term shifts in climate (Godfray et al. 2011, Smith et al. 2013). In turn, developed countries have expressed a willingness to assist with this challenge by coupling adoption of new practices and technologies with payments for mitigation of GHG emissions. While financial support is welcome, developing countries understandably view potential commitments to mitigate GHG emissions, even if they are voluntary, as a barrier for increasing food production to feed growing populations. At the same time, a program in agriculture that depends on funding from developed countries would likely need performance-based indicators of outcomes, particularly quantification of GHG emissions, similar to the initiative for reducing GHG emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). To provide credible quantification of emissions, there would need to be improvements in GHG estimation systems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.