Experts and environmental activists have identified Agroecology as solution to global warming, climate change and sustainable food production and sovereignty.
They made these known at Health of Mother Earth Foundation’s School of Ecology with the theme: Agroecology: A Real Climate Change Solution, which was held on Tuesday and monitored by INFO DAILY via zoom.
This edition of HOMEF’s School of Ecology was in collaboration with Young Volunteers for the Environment.
In his welcome address, Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Nnimmo Bassey, said Agroecology has been proven to cooling the planet, adding that it also enables soils retain carbon, and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released in various industrial agriculture processes such as production of inorganic
fertilizers, transportation of food over long distances, intensive mechanisation etc.
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He added that agroecology also builds biodiversity, which according to him, is key in resilience of ecosystems to climate change impacts.
While lamenting that countries in Africa have suffered the most from climate change and are at greater risk, the Executive Director further said fossil fuels should be left in the ground in order curb climate change.
He added: “Countries in Africa that have suffered the most from climate change and are at greater risk must be adequately represented and carefully examine
the narratives driving the conversations and negotiations at the upcoming COP 27 in Egypt. We must wake ourselves up from the path of voluntary emissions reductions and so-called commitment to “phase down”
the continued use of coal.”
He urged African leaders to demand for climate justice and that they should insist on the payment of climate debt for historical and current harms, adding, “the marketisation of Nature, including through diverse forms of carbon trading must be denounced and rejected.”
He stated: “The COP 27 should return to the drawing board and focus on binding emissions cuts with polluting nations accepting to do their fair share on the basis of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) rather
than the so-called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that so far have not dented the huge store of carbon in the atmosphere.”
speaking on the sub-theme: Agroecology – Background, Principles, Role in Food Sovereignty, Barrister Marianne Bassey-Orovwuje, said Agroecology has capacity of addressing climate change and uttermost solution to food crisis experienced globally.
While emphasising that Agroecology is the engine for food sovereignty, Bassey-Orovwuje said: “Agroecology feeds one, it’s a recipe; helps solve climate change; it builds our environment; it helps our farmers.
“Agroecology is a sustainable long term solution to farming in Africa. In terms of food, security, sovereignty, nutrition, poverty reduction, climate adaptation; biodiversity, etc. Agroecology is the answer.”
“Agroecology is a practice, it’s a science, it is a social justice; it is a movement.”
She called on African leaders to embrace Agroecology as a solution to climate change, sustainable food production and sovereignty.
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In his presentation, Sena Alouka, Executive Director, Young Volunteers for the Environment, called for recognition of a sustainable food production, using Agroecology and holistic approach.
“We are are not against any scientific method of agriculture, what we are calling for is that we should approach agriculture in an holistic manner. There is need to support transitioning to Agroecology.”
In her presentation, Joyce Brown, also said Agroecology is the way out of globally warming and food crisis rocking the world, adding that all hands must be on desk to achieve this.
News5 days ago
