Global food security is threatened by crop diseases that account for average yield losses of 16%, with the greatest losses experienced by subsistence farmers in the developing world. Climate change is exacerbating the threats to food security in such areas, emphasising the need to increase food production in northern European countries such as the UK. However, the crops must be grown in such a way as to minimise greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with their production. As an example, it is estimated that production of UK winter oilseed rape is associated with GHG of 3300 kg CO 2 eq. ha -1 of crop and 834 kg CO 2 eq. t -1 of seed yield, with 79%of the GHG associated with the use of nitrogen fertiliser. Furthermore, it is estimated that control of diseases by use of fungicides in this UK oilseed rape is associated with a decrease in GHG of 100 kg CO 2 eq. t -1 of seed. Winter oilseed rape cultivar disease resistance is associated with a decrease in GHG of 56 kg CO 2 eq. t -1 , although this figure is an underestimate. These results demonstrate how disease control in arable crops can make a contribution to both climate change mitigation and sustainable arable crop production to ensure global food security.