Friends of the Earth International
Monday 5 December 2011
CLIMATE TALKS: SUSTAINABLE, SMALL-SCALE, AND PEASANT AGRICULTURE NEEDED TO COOL DOWN THE EARTH
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, 5 December 2011– The UN climate talks in Durban
have reminded the world that agriculture is responsible for almost one
fourth of the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases.
However, they are failing to expose industrial agriculture as the culprit
and small-scale agroecological food production as the only solution to the
problem, said Friends of the Earth International today.
In Durban today Friends of the Earth campaigners marched with two hundred
peasant farmers, members of the international peasant movement ‘La Via
Campesina’, to denounce the model of industrial agriculture as one of the
main drivers of climate change and to expose the aggressive land grabbing
tactics of agribusiness globally. [1]
The March with the global peasant movement celebrates ‘the Agroecology and
Food Sovereignty day to Cool Down the Earth’, a symbolic action to demand
respect for the cause of peasants and small food producers globally.
“The climate and food crisis can be addressed through food sovereignty,
basically promoting sustainable peasant agriculture and small-scale food
production,” said Martin Drago, Food Sovereignty coordinator at Friends of
the Earth International.
“Small-scale farming not only improves food security and food sovereignty
but also helps to combat climate change by tackling two principal sources
of greenhouse gas emissions: food transportation over large distances and
industrial agriculture,” he added
“We are denouncing soil carbon markets, and the so called “Climate Smart
Agriculture” being pushed at the UN climate talks as false solutions to
the climate crisis,” said Nnimmo Bassey, the Chair of Friends of the Earth
International.
“Instead of tackling the root causes of agriculture’s contribution to
climate change, these false solutions heat up the planet,” he added.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Martin Drago, Food Sovereignty coordinator at Friends of the Earth
International: Tel: + 27 (0) 727875169 (South African mobile valid only
until Dec.10)
Nnimmo Bassey, Chair of Friends of the Earth International: +234 803 727
4395 (Nigerian mobile) or +27 (0) 71 63 92 542 (South African mobile valid
only until Dec.10), email: nnimmo@eraction.org
Boaventura Monjane, La Via Campesina press office:
boa.monjane@viacampesina.org or +27 (0)73 65 09 229 (South African mobile
valid only until Dec.10)
Friends of the Earth International media line: +27 791 097 223 (South
African number valid only until Dec.10) or +31-6-5100 5630 (Dutch mobile)
or email: media@foei.org
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] La Via Campesina ia an international movement of peasants, small- and
medium-sized producers, landless, rural women, indigenous people, rural
youth and agricultural workers.
Food sovereignty involves the promotion of local production, genuine
agrarian reform and the defence of indigenous peoples’ territories. It
relies on ecologically sensitive production models rooted in peasant and
indigenous knowledge. In these models, transnational corporations,
chemical pesticides and genetically modified crops have no place.
La Vía Campesina first introduced food sovereignty in 1996. Numerous
social movements and non-governmental organizations, including Friends of
the Earth International, have embraced the concept in their efforts to
change agriculture and food policy everywhere.
Millions of peasants and small-scale farmers from all over the world who
are organized in La Vía Campesina and who refuse to disappear, along with
millions who care about the planet and humanity, see in food sovereignty a
new path and a necessary way forward.
Friends of the Earth International
Monday 5 December 2011
CLIMATE TALKS: SUSTAINABLE, SMALL-SCALE, AND PEASANT AGRICULTURE NEEDED TO COOL DOWN THE EARTH
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, 5 December 2011– The UN climate talks in Durban
have reminded the world that agriculture is responsible for almost one
fourth of the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases.
However, they are failing to expose industrial agriculture as the culprit
and small-scale agroecological food production as the only solution to the
problem, said Friends of the Earth International today.
In Durban today Friends of the Earth campaigners marched with two hundred
peasant farmers, members of the international peasant movement ‘La Via
Campesina’, to denounce the model of industrial agriculture as one of the
main drivers of climate change and to expose the aggressive land grabbing
tactics of agribusiness globally. [1]
The March with the global peasant movement celebrates ‘the Agroecology and
Food Sovereignty day to Cool Down the Earth’, a symbolic action to demand
respect for the cause of peasants and small food producers globally.
“The climate and food crisis can be addressed through food sovereignty,
basically promoting sustainable peasant agriculture and small-scale food
production,” said Martin Drago, Food Sovereignty coordinator at Friends of
the Earth International.
“Small-scale farming not only improves food security and food sovereignty
but also helps to combat climate change by tackling two principal sources
of greenhouse gas emissions: food transportation over large distances and
industrial agriculture,” he added
“We are denouncing soil carbon markets, and the so called “Climate Smart
Agriculture” being pushed at the UN climate talks as false solutions to
the climate crisis,” said Nnimmo Bassey, the Chair of Friends of the Earth
International.
“Instead of tackling the root causes of agriculture’s contribution to
climate change, these false solutions heat up the planet,” he added.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Martin Drago, Food Sovereignty coordinator at Friends of the Earth
International: Tel: + 27 (0) 727875169 (South African mobile valid only
until Dec.10)
Nnimmo Bassey, Chair of Friends of the Earth International: +234 803 727
4395 (Nigerian mobile) or +27 (0) 71 63 92 542 (South African mobile valid
only until Dec.10), email: nnimmo@eraction.org
Boaventura Monjane, La Via Campesina press office:
boa.monjane@viacampesina.org or +27 (0)73 65 09 229 (South African mobile
valid only until Dec.10)
Friends of the Earth International media line: +27 791 097 223 (South
African number valid only until Dec.10) or +31-6-5100 5630 (Dutch mobile)
or email: media@foei.org
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] La Via Campesina ia an international movement of peasants, small- and
medium-sized producers, landless, rural women, indigenous people, rural
youth and agricultural workers.
Food sovereignty involves the promotion of local production, genuine
agrarian reform and the defence of indigenous peoples’ territories. It
relies on ecologically sensitive production models rooted in peasant and
indigenous knowledge. In these models, transnational corporations,
chemical pesticides and genetically modified crops have no place.
La Vía Campesina first introduced food sovereignty in 1996. Numerous
social movements and non-governmental organizations, including Friends of
the Earth International, have embraced the concept in their efforts to
change agriculture and food policy everywhere.
Millions of peasants and small-scale farmers from all over the world who
are organized in La Vía Campesina and who refuse to disappear, along with
millions who care about the planet and humanity, see in food sovereignty a
new path and a necessary way forward.