Agriculture is the world’s main source of greenhouse gases-and is extremely susceptible to them.
At the same time, agriculture is the source of food security for almost everyone on the planet, the basis of the livelihood of more than 1 billion people, and the foundation of many economies.
Therefore, if you are not cautious, drastically reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) in the agricultural sector may cause major damage to people’s lives and food security.
this Series of articles Published in collaboration with Dalia Gebrial and Harpreet Kaur Paul and Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung in London.It first appeared in a Global Green New Deal Outlook.
guide
Therefore, agricultural transformation must be carried out carefully, ensuring that justice and rights considerations are at the core of the approach.
the following Principles of Fair Transformation in Agriculture Developed by ActionAid to help guide this necessary transformation:
1. Transform the food system to serve mankind, nature and climate.
The IPCC’s special report on climate change and land (August 2018) confirmed that to adapt to the goals of the climate change era, agriculture must move away from intensive and industrialized methods and shift to a food system based on agroecology and less and better meat.
The term “agroecology” describes a set of agricultural practices that work with nature, which largely avoids greenhouses by improving soil health, crop diversity, resistance to pests and diseases, and avoiding the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Gas emissions.
At present, 70% of the world’s arable land is used for the production of livestock feed, and the shift from industry and large-scale livestock production and consumption has also been determined as a necessary measure to reduce the industry’s huge contribution to methane, deforestation and land use.
2. Address-don’t exacerbate-inequality.
One of the main challenges in changing agricultural practices is that farmers who use industrialized agricultural techniques may feel demonized and defensive because they are blamed on the climate crisis.
They may worry that top-down and simplistic climate policies will put most rural communities in a difficult situation, with few options to guarantee their livelihoods.
There are already serious injustices in the entire food system. Farmers and workers are often squeezed and exploited by a system that concentrates wealth, land and power in the hands of fewer and fewer people.
Female farmers face special obstacles and burdens.
At the same time, 2 billion people are still food insecure.
Therefore, the just transformation of agriculture must be done in a way that resolves—not exacerbates—the injustice of the food system.
3. Ensure inclusiveness and participation.
The term “fair transition” originally coined by the unions defines the appearance of the new system and how this transition takes place.
A just transition must be truly inclusive and participatory, and engage with key actors, especially those who are marginalized and neglected, such as women farmers.
Farmers, workers and communities must have a place at the negotiating table and have the opportunity to shape their own future.
4. Develop a comprehensive framework.
The government should develop a comprehensive policy framework to provide positive opportunities to improve food systems that are beneficial to farmers and the climate.
Regional and national impact assessment and planning processes, gender-sensitive and inclusive policies, social protection, training and retraining, support for new market routes, and joint thinking connecting different sectors and 71 global connections will be key .
These elements can form the basis of increasingly ambitious national climate policies, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plans (NAP).
Through the just transformation of agriculture, many communities that might otherwise resist climate action can become powerful advocates of change.
This author
Teresa Anderson (Teresa Anderson) is the climate policy coordinator of the International Action Aid in Johannesburg, South Africa.
