{"id":601235,"date":"2019-03-22T06:04:05","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T06:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"
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Civil Society Organisations across Africa have called on African governments to transform the current industrial agriculture by prioritising agro-ecology strongly at the centre of their climate change actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

This will create the enabling environment through policy and public support programmes for the scale up and scale out of agro-ecology as an alternative, nature-based solution to the failed industrial and commercial model of agriculture and food production system.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Forty-five CSOs signed a petition at the Africa Climate Week to draw <\/span>the attention<\/span><\/span> of African governments\u2019 on the matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

The petition stressed the need to prioritise climate change adaptation in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) while unanimously demanding of the industrialised countries to do their fair share of climate action.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Climate<\/p>\n

Such actions according to them, suggest the provision of adequate climate finance for the implementation of the continent\u2019s national adaptation and mitigation plans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Philip Jakpor, Head of Media and Campaigns, Environmental Rights Action\/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA\/FoEN), said that industrial agriculture must be replaced with agro-ecology.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0“Since the beginning of the Africa Climate <\/span>Week<\/span><\/span>, we have been witnesses to how the fossil fuel industry trade associations and their allies tried to steer the discussions away from the real solutions. We stand with farmers and other groups advocating agro-ecology in place of industrial agriculture which contributes to climate change”. <\/span><\/p>\n

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To advance the agro-ecology argument, existing environmental laws must be enforced whiles implementing policies and programmes to halt the rate of environmental degradation, restoration of degraded areas and conservation of the ecological systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

The group remains deeply sceptical of what they describe as false solutions which are; <\/span>climate-smart<\/span><\/span> agriculture, carbon markets, geo-engineering and recognize that climate insurance has a limited role to play in building resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChallenge false solutions being put forth by actors with\u00a0<\/span>commercial<\/span><\/span> interests which will further entrench inequality within our citizenry.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

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Director for Vision for Alternative Development, Ghana, Labram Musah, emphasised that agro-ecology will protect livelihoods of indigenous people.<\/span><\/p>\n

“The solution to climate change is within the realm of non-market mechanisms and pro-people initiatives. Agro-ecology will not only tackle climate change<\/span>,<\/span><\/span> but it will also ensure that local livelihoods are protected,” said Labram Musah.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the petition, the CSOs demand \u201csupport women farmers with less labour intensive innovations and technologies that reduce the burden of women and girls unpaid care work whiles also contributing to mitigation measures of climate change.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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The also called for the provision of adequate budgetary support with specific targets for women and translate national policies into local actions for effective implementation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Emissions and Carbon Markets<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Global warming is always increasing at an exponential rate and scientists are warning <\/span>that<\/span><\/span> \u201cwe have less than a decade\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Considerable efforts are required to keep global temperatures as close to 1.5\u00b0 above preindustrial levels as possible, to avert a looming global climate catastrophe. <\/span><\/p>\n

This, therefore, requires every country to honour its commitment <\/span>to<\/span><\/span> reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as their contribution to climate change mitigation through the implementation of the Paris Agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDue to different levels of emissions and capacity to finance the negative effects of climate change, countries with high emission levels must be guided by the principle of equity in order not to accept or take upon themselves an undue or disproportionate burden for climate change mitigation\u201d, the petition advised. <\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Carbon markets are dangerous distractions from developing real <\/span>people-centred<\/span><\/span> solutions to the climate crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the petition, non-market approaches to climate change must be supported.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is well documented that carbon markets have failed in achieving their environmental objectives and that many carbon offset projects have a devastating social impact.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carbon markets will never be able to meet their environmental and social objectives and should be abandoned for alternatives that fit the needs of peoples at the frontline of the crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

As governments of Africa, Private Sector Actors, Civil Society Organizations and Farmers have all been articulating climate actions towards building resilience communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is strong and factual evidence that agro-ecology systems, as <\/span>nature-based<\/span><\/span> solutions, are superior to external input industrial and commercial agriculture.<\/span><\/p>\n

They are also highly productive, highly sustainable, empower women, create jobs, engage youth, provide greater autonomy, build climate resilience, and multiple social, cultural and environmental benefits for women, youth and men in both rural and urban communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Signatory Organisations<\/span><\/p>\n

1. ActionAid Ghana<\/span><\/p>\n

2. ActionAid Nigeria<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA)<\/span><\/p>\n

4. African Biodiversity Network (ABN)<\/span><\/p>\n

5. African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Association Ouest Africaine pour le D\u00e9veloppement de la P\u00eache Artisanale (ADEPA)<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Biodiversity and Biosafety Coalition of Kenya (BIBA)<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Centre for Indigenous <\/span>knowledge<\/span><\/span> and Organizational Development (CIKOD)<\/span><\/p>\n

9. Coalition pour la Protection du Patrimoine G\u00e9n\u00e9tique Africaine (COPAGEN)<\/span><\/p>\n

10. Comit\u00e9 Ouest Africain de Semences Paysannes (COASP)<\/span><\/p>\n

11. Community Alliance for Global Justice (CAGJ) 8. Comparing and Supporting Endogenous<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Development (COMPAS Africa)<\/span><\/p>\n

12. Corporate Accountability<\/span><\/p>\n

13. Eastern and Southern Africa Pastoralist Network (<\/span>ESAPN<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n

14. Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF)<\/span><\/p>\n

15. Environmental Rights Action<\/span><\/p>\n

16. Fahamu Africa<\/span><\/p>\n

17. Faith & Justice Network of the Mano River Basin (FJN)<\/span><\/p>\n

18. Farm\u2010Saved Seeds Network (<\/span>FASSNET<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n

19. F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Agro\u00e9cologique du B\u00e9nin (FAEB)<\/span><\/p>\n

20. Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa (FECCIWA)<\/span><\/p>\n

21. Food Sovereignty Ghana<\/span><\/p>\n

22. Friends of the Earth Africa (FoEA)<\/span><\/p>\n

23. Global Justice Now!<\/span><\/p>\n

24. Groundswell<\/span><\/p>\n

25. <\/span>Health<\/span><\/span> of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF)<\/span><\/p>\n

26. Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC)<\/span><\/p>\n

27. Institut Africain pour le D\u00e9veloppement Economique et Social (INADES\u2010Formation)<\/span><\/p>\n

28. Institut Panafricain pour la Citoyennet\u00e9, <\/span>les<\/span><\/span> Consommateurs et le D\u00e9veloppement (CICODEV<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Africa)<\/span><\/p>\n

29. International Tree Foundation<\/span><\/p>\n

30. Jeunes Volontaires pour l\u2019Environnement (JVE International)<\/span><\/p>\n

31. John Wilson<\/span><\/p>\n

32. La Via Campesina SEA<\/span><\/p>\n

33. <\/span>Network<\/span><\/span> of Farmers\u2019 and Agricultural Producers\u2019 Organizations of West Africa (ROPPA)<\/span><\/p>\n

34. Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Association<\/span><\/p>\n

35. Peasants Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG)<\/span><\/p>\n

36. Plate\u2010forme R\u00e9gionale des Organisations Paysannes d\u2019Afrique Centrale (PROPAC)<\/span><\/p>\n

37. R\u00e9seau Africain pour le Droit \u00e0 l’Alimentation (RAPDA \u2013Togo)<\/span><\/p>\n

38. Rural Women\u2019s Assembly (RWA)<\/span><\/p>\n

39. Tanzanian Alliance for Biodiversity (TABIO)<\/span><\/p>\n

40. Thousand Currents (formerly IDEX)<\/span><\/p>\n

41. Union Africaine des Consommateurs (UAC)<\/span><\/p>\n

42. <\/span>Vision<\/span><\/span> for Alternative Development (VALD), Ghana<\/span><\/p>\n

43. We are the Solution (WAS)<\/span><\/p>\n

44. World Neighbors<\/span><\/p>\n

45. Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB)<\/span><\/p>\n

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