Climate Change News - May / June 2013

Organic Agriculture: African experiences in Resilience and Sustainability

 

 

The Food and Agriculture Organization produced a new report on organic, climate-smart agriculture and African family farmers’ knowledge. The report gives numerous examples from Africa on how organic agriculture is necessary to adapt to climate change. Organic agriculture produces less carbon emissions and has proven to be more resilient in times of extreme weather events. Organic agriculture has the potential to increase food sovereignty, to reduce poverty. It is considered to be more sustainable since it uses local resources and local knowledge rather than importing expensive chemical inputs and seeds.

 

http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3294e/i3294e.pdf

 

Community Groups help themselves to tackle Climate Change

 

 

In Kenya local farmers are fighting climate change while at the same time they are increasing their incomes and improving their livelihoods. The local communities of the Nyando Basin have organised themselves and they working towards diversification of crops and livestock, improved water and soil management.  Farmers are now adopting the following practices: “beekeeping, keeping small livestock like goats, sheep and poultry, crop diversification with improved agronomic practices, and illustrating water terracing for improved yields.”

 

 

http://www.cgiar.org/consortium-news/community-groups-help-themselves-to-tackle-climate-change/

http://ccafs.cgiar.org/node/2027

 

 

A Unified Approach to Climate Change and Hunger

 

 

Studies from Ethiopia, Niger and Kenya demonstrate that natural extreme weathers have severe health consequences on newborns. The main conclusion is that children born during such periods of extreme weather events are more likely to be malnourished or suffering from hunger. Africa is also the continent the most affected by climate change, while having contributed the least to it. Climate change has been affecting African harvests negatively and has reduced food supply increasing the African’s population vulnerability to climate change. However, on the political side very little progress has been made in addressing climate change at the international level. One of the authors of the article suggest rather than waiting for an agreement at international level, climate change can and should already be addressed at the local level. 

 

http://www.irinnews.org/report/97913/a-unified-approach-to-climate-change-and-hunger

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