Tag: Southern Africa

  • Inspiring Victory Against Big Ag and the GMO Giants

    Soil carbon loss is a significant contributor to CO2 emissions, with over 100 Gt released annually. Implementing regenerative agriculture practices can help reverse climate change by capturing CO2 in the soil and enhancing soil organic matter. This can be achieved by stopping ecosystem destruction, restoring forests and pastures, and discontinuing synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. The Mexican Senate recently approved a constitutional reform to ban GMOs, prioritizing the protection of biodiversity and food sovereignty. Traditional grains like finger millet and sorghum are proving to be more resilient and sustainable in the face of climate variability. The FAO emphasizes the importance of diversifying staple crops in Southern Africa, particularly transitioning from maize to traditional grains like finger millet and sorghum. The impact of the 2024 El Niño on Zimbabwe and Southern Africa led to severe food insecurity, livestock deaths, and the worst hunger crisis in 4 decades. Mexico has banned the planting of genetically modified corn seeds to protect its native corn varieties. The section discusses the importance of regenerative agriculture and organic farming in addressing climate change, highlighting the efforts of organizations like IFOAM Organics International and Regeneration International in promoting sustainable farming practices. The article also mentions the need for African governments to implement agroecology policies to support smallholder food producers and address environmental issues. Overall, the focus is on empowering farmers and communities to take control of their local food systems for a more sustainable future. Stakeholders in Africa are urging states to prioritize agroecology to support farmers and sustainable food production. Glaciers are losing ice mass rapidly, with regional losses ranging from 2% to 39%. The climate crisis is already impacting smallholder farmers, leading to food insecurity and hunger. Industrial agriculture, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, is unsustainable. Indigenous reserves in the Peruvian Amazon are facing setbacks, putting uncontacted tribes at risk. Supporting monarch populations by planting nectar-rich flowers and milkweed is crucial for their survival. Regeneration International is calling for support to build an international alliance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon in soils, regenerate ecosystems, eliminate rural poverty, and revitalize communities. They emphasize the importance of regenerative agriculture in restoring farmer independence, promoting social justice, fair trade, and ecological health. The organization aims to build a global network to promote regenerative agriculture practices that provide abundant food, revitalize economies, restore soil fertility, nurture biodiversity, and reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions while sequestering carbon in the soil.

    https://us.engagingnetworks.app/page/email/message/view?templateId=372973

  • COP30’s Gender Action Plan Needed to Address Climate-Induced Violence

    The 2023/2024 El Niño-induced drought in Southern Africa exacerbated food and water insecurity, livelihood reductions, and gender-based violence, highlighting the urgent need for climate solutions. Women environmental human rights defenders in Africa face violence for addressing environmental crises. The Belém Gender Action Plan, adopted at COP30, aims to promote gender equality in climate action through capacity building, gender balance, coherence, implementation, and monitoring. This plan supports national gender and climate focal points, gender-responsive budgeting, and climate finance, emphasizing the integration of gender equality across all aspects of climate action. Adequate financing and meaningful collaboration are essential for the success of gender-responsive climate action, as emphasized by African feminist researcher Chido Nyaruwata and her Flames and Lilies Climate Initiative.

    https://africanclimatewire.org/2025/12/cop30s-gender-action-plan-needed-to-address-climate-induced-violence/